asic IELTS Chibien Wang Yue Xi Chuyénngijphinchigiéi. Nguyén Thanh Yén © Consolidating Your English Ability © Improving Your English Writing Skill © Providing General Knowledge © Developing Your Test-Taking Skill a NTV nwA xuAt BAN TONG HOP Cong ty TNHH ‘THANE PHO HO CHf MINH Nhan Tri ViétBasic IELTS Writing Chibién Wang Yue Xi Chuyén ngiphinchégit. Nguyén Thanh Yén i NTV HA XUAT BAN TONG HOP Cong ty TNHH THANH PHO HO CH{ MINH Nhan Tri ViétBasic IELTS Writing Copyright © 2010, 2012 Beijing Language and Culture University Press Published in Vietnam, 2013 This edition is published in Vietnam under a license Agreement between Beijing Language and Culture University Press and Nhan Tri Viet Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.FOREWORD Exam preparation is a vital period for candidates who wish to obtain an internationally recog- nised certificate, specifically the IELTS one. Such candidates will find it less stressful if they can have relevant and beneficial materials in hand. Basic IELTS ~ Listening, Reading, Speak- ing, and Writing have, consequently, been designed to meet your demand. Basic IELTS series aim at + providing IELTS candidates with a basic English language ability, + enlarging candidates’ stock of vocabulary, and + giving candidates insight into the social life and culture of the English-speaking communities. Basic IELTS series are suitable for those who want to achieve a band score of 4 — 5+ in the IELTS test. They are also practical materials for high school students, students of pre-interme- diate level, and for those who want to build up a solid foundation in their English language competence. The main features of this series of books are as follows: vy Designed in accordance with the content, format, and objectives of the IE Reflecting the updated IELTS question types Meeting the demand and expectations of the focussed candidates cA 8 Containing authentic, interesting, and rewarding materials As far as Basic IELTS Writing is concerned, it is designed for candidates preparing to achieve approximately between 4 and 5 in the IELTS exam, but language students at a pre-inter- mediate level may also find some aspects of the book of use. The aim of this book is to help candidates of both General Training and Academic Modules to familiarise themselves with the format of the IELTS Writing test and to be competent in their writing. The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 focusses on Task 1 of the General Training Module. It contains six chapters, each of which presents how to effectively write a certain kind of letter that is typically seen in the test. Part 2 consists of two chapters which aim to facilitate you in describing visual information (graphs or charts) in Task 1 of the Academic Module. Part 3 comprises a brief introduction to and detailed explanation of essay writing which most IELTS candidates seemingly find difficult and challenging, The fourth part named Gram- matical Range and Accuracy sums up four kinds of English sentences in order to enable you to accurately use a wide range of structures in your writing. A special point that needs stressing is in this part, a section presented in the Vietnamese language will point out errors that Vietnamese students may make when writing English. How to correct those errors and exercises of translation are also included for you to practise and improve your writing skill. Lastly, a table of transition signals is provided in the hope that you can effectively use them in www.nhantriviet.com 2producing a satisfactory paragraph and a well-organised essay. Basic IELTS Writing certainly meets the need of candidates who will sit the Academic Module, but General Training Module candidates can also find it very beneficial. On completion of Basic IELTS Writing, you will be able to + write tasks in the IELTS Writing test, + apply useful tips and techniques in taking the IELTS Writing test, «be well prepared for gaining a higher score in your actual exam, and + achieve your desired band score in the near future. Hopefully, you will find Basie IELTS Writing truly helpful and rewarding, and you can even- tually achieve your desired goal. Wang Yue Xi 4 www.nhantriviet.comIELTS OVERVIEW I. The IELTS Test IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, was introduced in 1989. It is an English language proficiency test that is required to be taken by non-native students for studying in countries where the medium of instruction is English. It is now used for this purpose around the globe. The IELTS is managed by three main institutions: the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). This is important to understand in order to prepare for what is essentially an examination of British and not American English. Depending on the course of study that is planned to take, candidates must select to sit cither the Academic IELTS test or the General Training IELTS test. This choice must be made when applying to sit the test. Academic Module The Academic IELTS test is necessary for candidates who plan to study at universities (undergraduate or postgraduate courses), and will test the candidates’ ability to both understand and use complex academic language. General Training Module ‘The General Training Module of IELTS is for candidates seeking entry to a secondary school or to vocational training courses, and also for those who wish to apply for immigration to coun- tries such as Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. . IELTS is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16. II. The IELTS Test Format There are four sub-tests to the IELTS test: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, Can- didates must sit all four sub-tests. While all candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests, they sit different Reading and Writing tests, depending on whether they have selected the Academic IELTS test or the General Training IELTS test. These two do not carry the same weight and are not interchangeable. The first three sub-tests ~ Listening, Reading, and Writing — must be completed in one day. ‘There is no break between the sub-tests. The Speaking test may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period of seven days before or after the other sub-tests of the IELTS test. www.nhantriviet.com 5‘This table helps you to understand more clearly about the format and tin IELTS modules: ACADEMIC FPN 4 sections; 40 questions bereits 30 minutes 3 sections; 40 questions Lora 3 long texts 1 hour 2 tasks 1 hour 3 sections 11-14 minutes ig, of the two GENERAL TRAINING 4 sections; 40 questions 30 minutes 3 sections; 40 questions | 3 long texts L hour 2 tasks | L hour 3 sections 11-14 minutes IIL The IELTS Writing Test The Writing test consists of two tasks. Candidates are given one hour to complete both tasks. 1. The General Training Writing Candidates are allowed one hour to complete two tasks of 150 and 250 words respectively. Task 1 is always a letter while Task 2, which is similar to that of the Academic Module, is an essay based on a given title. 2. The Academic Writing In Task 1, candidates are given a title based on some graphic or pictorial information. They are expected to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on the information provided. The second task is more demanding, Candidates are expected to produce an essay on a given title, They will have to write at least 250 words in approximately 40 minutes as Task 2 is longer than Task 1. www.nhantriviet.comContents TELTS Overview Part 1 The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing Chapter 1 Thank-you Letters Chapter 2. Request Letters Chapter 3. Application Letters Chapter 4 Complaint Letters Chapter 5 Invitation Letters Chapter 6 Apology Letters Part2 The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing Chapter 1 Describing Graphs or Charts Chapter 2. Describing a Process or a Procedure Part3 The IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing Part+ Grammatical Range and Accuracy Answer Key www.nhantriviet.com 113 vgclam The IELTS General Training OTS SA Fats totyBasic IELTS Writing, The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing asks you to write a letter of a minimum of 150 words in response to some situation or problem. The task will probably ask you to complain about something, request information, ask for help, make arrangements and/or explain a situation. All of these are fairly similar tasks. In order to complete Task 1 successfully, you first should know the organisation of a letter, and then what to include in the content. 1. The basic format of a letter 1. Greeting or salutation: In the actual test, you are requested to address Dear Sir or Madam, not a specific name. 2. Introduction: This part is intended to get the recipient to want to continue reading, and to give the recipient an idea as to why you are writing. This can all go in one paragraph. 3. Body: This is the longest part of the letter which contains the main points. Change para- graphs and indent each time you change the point you are writing about. 4. Conclusion: This is when you wrap the letter up politely in an appropriate style or tone. 5. Closing: You should choose an exit expression which lines up with the heading, for example Yours faithfully/sincerely (formal); Best wishes, All the best (personal). 2. Six ‘C’ in letter writing You should generally apply the following principles called six ‘C’ when writing a letter. 1. Be clear: Have a definite purpose when writing, and make sure itis clearly communicated. Leave nothing unexplained or glossed over. 2. Be correct: Check that all your information is accurate and relevant. Double-check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Proofread it before you send it. 3. Be complete: Include all the necessary facts and background information to support the message you are communicating. Answer all the questions in your letter. 4, Be concise: Be clear and to the point. Once you have written what needs writing, stop writing it. Do not repeat what has been mentioned. 5. Be courteous: Use a courteous and respectful tone in the letter. Courtesy is vital for com- munications, especially when you consider that you are likely to be asking the recipient for something. 6. Be considerate: Keep your reader’s needs and feelings in mind as you write. 10 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IEI 'S General taining ‘Task 1 Writing Chapter 1 Thank-you Letters What to include in a thank-you letter 1. Greeting Starting with Dear Sir or Madam (as usually asked in the instruction). Note that after Madam, you need a comma. 2. Introduction Stating the purpose of your letter; that is, why you are writing. 3. Body Briefly describing or retelling what the person has done for you. Expressing your sincere thanks and recommending what you would like to do for him/ her in return, For example, you may reaffirm your gratitude or restate the compliment, suggest possible future action, and close with either an expression of thanks or an indication of your intention to continue contact. 4. Closing Closing the letter with Yours faithfully (only the first word is capitalised) or Regards if you start the letter with Dear Sir or Madam, with Yours sincerely or Sincerely yours if you start with a specific name of the recipient. You do not need to sign your name in this task. Tips for writing a thank-you letter 1. Stick to the point 2. Be sincere. 3. Make your letter stand out: Be specific and include details of the event. 4. End the letter on a positive note: Closing depends on the type of thank-you letters. Note that everyone loves a cheerful letter that says you appreciate their kindness. People respond positively to thank-you letters that express kind thoughts and warm feelings. wwwanhantriviet.com rtBasie IELTS Writing Sample Letter Analysis weit ea PUGS occa pace RT Re You are a commuter. One morning on your way to work you suddenly fell ill and lost your eee Re Cn eee See ee Seat oe Ren rc Rotten oe SS Renna eRe PEON ROR DCR DECC UR aoe R OLS pS CCCs Sample letter Dear Sir or Madam, 1am writing this letter to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Baker, the cashier of your company. Tam a commuter and every day I take bus Route 133 to work. Last Friday morning when the bus almost reached the stop where I was to get off, I suddenly felt dizzy and then lost my consciousness. When I came to, I found myself in St. Mary's Hospital, attended by my wife. The doctor told me it was Mr. Baker who had sent me to the hospital and | informed my wife of my condition. Mr. Baker happened to be on the same bus, but I have never met him. My wife and I were very much grateful to Mr. Baker for his kindness. Please forward my heartfelt thankfulness to him. We feel very much proud of your company for having such a good employee. If Mr. Baker was late for work that day, I'd like to compensate you. I do hope that your company would reward Mr. Baker for his noble deeds. Yours faithfully, io) Lay Larry Smith (182 words) Analysing this sample letter © Examining this sample letter, you can see that it includes the four main parts mentioned above. 12 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General taining Task | Writing 1. Greeting: It begins with Dear Sir or Madam (as asked in the instruction). A comma is put after Madam. 2. Introduction: The writer states the reason why he is writing, 3. Body: He states the incident which happened to him. Then, he expresses his thanks to Mr. Baker and his suggestion to the company (that is to say, to reward Mr. Baker). 4. Closing: He ends the letter with an appropriate closing and an exit expression. (His name and signature are not necessarily shown). @ Language analysis 1, Expressions: to extend /express/show my sincere thanks to ... chan thanh cim on ... to come to means to recover consciousness héi tinh/tinh lai When | came to... Khi t6i tinh lai... to inform sb of sth bao ai biét vé diéu gi informed my wife of my condition da bdo cho vg tdi biét vé tinh trang cila tdi Another example: Thave been informed of the matter already. to happen to + V tinh c@... Mr. Baker happened to be on the same bus, Ong Baker tinh c& ngéi cing xe buyt véi ti. to feel/be proud of sb for sth cam thay ty hao vé ai vi diéu ho da lam We feel very much proud of your company for having such a good employee. Ching t6i v6 cing ty hao vi cng ty cla éng/ba c6 duge mot nhan vién tot nut vay. to be grateful to sb for sth biét om ai vé digu gi My wife and I were very much grateful to Mr. Baker for his kindness. Vo chéng tdi v6 cing biét on dng Baker vi long tét ctia éng ay. 2. Structures: 1. Structures with find to find oneself somewhere thay minh 6 mot noi nao d6 to find oneself + past participial phrase When I came to, | found myself in the hospital, attended by my wife. Khi tinh lai, t6i thay minh dang nim vign, duge vo cham séc. to find + N/N phrase + adjective phrase Martin found the hospital routine slightly dull to find + N/N phrase + present participial phrase He found a number of men already working www.nhantriviet.com 13Basie IELI'S Writing to find sb + adverb We went to her house, but we found her out. to find + N/N phrase + to-infinitive phrase I found the Vietnamese people to be friendly and hospitable. to find + clause Newton found that all masses attract each other. 2. The structure It + be ... that / who ... is used to show emphasis on the subject. The doctor told me it was Mr. Baker who had sent me to the hospital and informed my wife of my condition. Vj bac si da néi cho ti biét la chinh éng Baker da dua toi dén bénh vien va bdo cho vo téi ve tinh trang ctia téi, Another example: It is the dog that broke the vase. 3. Adjective clause Last Friday morning when the bus almost reached the stop where I was to get off, I sud- denly felt dizzy and then I lost my consciousness. Séng thi Sdu tuan réi khi chiéc xe buyt sdp dén tram ding noi t6i sé xuéng xe thi bat chot tdi cam thay chéng mat réi bj bat tinh, 1am writing this letter to thank you for ... How considerate and wonderful of you to remember my birthday. Iwill cherish this memory forever. I was thrilled and excited when I ... This letter is to express my thanks and appreciation for ... This is to thank you for ... My wife and I want to thank you for ... I repeat my thanks, in which my wife joins me. Please accept my thanks for ... Tappreciate very much for your thoughtfulness. Again with my thanks for your hospitality. lack words with which to express my gratitude to you. 1am much obliged to you for your timely help. Iam writing these few lines to express my sincere thanks, not only to yourself but to ... as well. 14 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing Please have no hesitation in writing to me should you want me to do something for you in Vietnam. Your party last weekend was the best yet. If you need anything in your study, please let me know. Thope you will give me the chance to return your kindness. accept admire appreciate embalm express extend friendly hospitable generous grateful heartfelt heartfelt thanks il kind lose one’s way noble pay tribute to perfect praise rescue reward satisfy show sincere to be in danger tobe proud of to have a car accident to have aheart attack touch volunteer wound Exercise 1 yet POEUN Es uct Ecc ep TRO Ra CR ee ees ea ccm Re ema aa son gave you a great deal of help. Write to Mr. Jackson to thank him for his hospitality and help. POOR reac a Ron mM eCoa noone cm ele LOre PRON R OR CRT in your letter DIS ano coe Use the phrases and sentences below to write the above letter: 1am writing this letter to thank you for . During my stay, you ... You gave me some very good advice of .. ... o that I had a wonderful time in the city. I sincerely hope someday I could repay your kindness. Once again ... www.nhantriviet.com 15Basie IELTS Writing Chapter 2 Request Letters What to include in a request letter 1. Greeting 2. Introduction Stating your purpose of writing and mentioning the related issue. 3. Body Pointing out the reason or cause of your request. 4, Conclusion Stating your request and thanking the person who is in charge of dealing with your request. 5. Closing and signature Request letters can be a very effective way of accomplishing what you need, It is not what you request, but how. Tips for writing an effective request letter Be particularly courteous and tactful when writing this kind of letter, as requests are generally an imposition on reader's time and/or resources or talents. Put the reader at ease, and help him or her feel that responding will not be burdensome. * Be brief. + Be confident and persuasive. Be assertive but not overbearing. Be straightforward, and include as much detail as necessary to clearly convey your request. * Make only reasonable requests. + Express your willingness to reciprocate the kindness or favour. * Invite the person to contact you if he or she has any questions or concerns, and thank him or her for taking the time to consider your request. * Make it easy for the person to respond - tell him or her exactly what can be done to ac- commodate your request, and do everything within your power so that the request can be granted (e.g. if you are asking for a letter of recommendation, include your résumé ora list of accomplishments and a stamped, addressed envelope). 16 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General Training Task | Writing Sample Letter Analysis went ROMEO ieo co ae ce Ca Pee Dace et coc R ee csn Ren ces Ue eer ecg Cree Re a CnC ce Write to the Dean of the department to suggest a change of the time. ‘You should write at least 150 wards. DROP ROR RCC Begin your letter as follows: TESOL Ecey Dear Sir or Madam, We are students of Class 99-1. We're glad that the department is to hold an English speech contest. We are sure it is of great help to our oral English and all of us want to take part in it, ‘We've noticed that the time of the contest is on 27 of December. What troubles us is the time of the contest. As you know, according to the school schedule of this term, the final examination is to begin on Jan. 10. We all wish to do excellently in both, but we are afraid that it will be very difficult for us to prepare for the examination and the contest at the same time. As a result, we would spend less time on the preparation of the contest. Considering the outcome of the contest, we suggest that it be postponed to the next term, preferably in the first few weeks. We suggest so because, generally speaking, we have more free time in that period of time. Thank you for your attention. Yours faithfully, All of Class 99-1 (181 words) Analysing this sample letter @ Below are the main parts of this letter: 1. After a brief self introduction, the writer refers to the related issue: an English speech contest is going to be held by the English Department. www.nhantriviet.com 17Basie IELTS Writing 2. The next part is why the class is making a request: the time of the contest and that of the final examination are very close to each other, which can affect the students’ per- formance in both events. 3. Next, a request is frankly given. 4, Last, the writer thanks the recipient for taking the time to consider the request. ® Language analysis 1. to be of + N means to be + adjective. eg. to be of great help = to be greatly helpful This English speech contest is of great help to our oral English. Cuédc thi hing bién tiéng Anh nay rat cé ich cho ky nang néi tiéng Anh ciia chuing téi. Other examples: English is of great importance in our future work. = English is greatly ifportant in our future work. Itis not a thing of any value. = It is not a valuable thing. 2. Preposition used in dates: on + date + of month; on + month + date + , year; on + date + month +, year on 27" of December on December 27", 2010 on 27" December, 2010 8. to be to do sth means to plan/be planned/be scheduled to do sth. The final examination is to begin on Jan. 10. Ky thi cudi hoc ky dugc du dinh bat dau vao ngay 10 thang 1, Other examples: Tam to see him today at six o’clock They were to appear before him. 4. Comparison: less/more + N + (than) ... As a result, we would spend less time on the preparation of the contest. Do vay, cé lé ching tdi sé cé it théi gian hon cho viée chudn bj cudc thi nay. ‘We have more free time in that period of time. vVao khoang thdi gian a6 chuing tai sé c6 nhigu thdi gian ranh hon, 5. so so is an adverb, It is used to replace what has been mentioned. It is usually used with such verbs as say, tell, suppose, and suggest. We suggest so ... Chting tdi dé xuat nhu vay ... Other examples: Martin wants to go with us, but he’s afraid to say so T know they enjoy every minute of it. Don’t you think so? 18 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS General ‘raining Task 1 Writing 6. It + be + adj + for sb + to do sth Itwill be very difficult for us to prepare for the examination and the contest at the same time. Chuén bi cho ky thi cuéi ky va cuéc thi nay cling mét hic sé rat khé cho chting t6i, Other examples: It is very helpful for us to learn to use a computer. It would be very easy for him to beat his opponent. 7. Clauses 1, Noun clause as the object of the main verb We've noticed that the time of the contest is on 27" of December. Chuing tdi thdy rang thdi diém cla cudc thi nay IA ngay 27 thang 12, We suggest that it be postponed to the next term, preferably in the first few weeks. Ching tdi dé nghj cuéc thi nay nén duge hodn lai dén hoc ky tdi, tét nhat 1a trong vai tudn dau tién, 2. Adverb clause modifying an adjective We're glad that the department is to hold an English speech contest. Chiing t6i vui miing vi khoa du dinh t8 cl ic m@t cudc thi hing bién tiéng Anh. We are afraid that it will be very difficult for us to prepare for the examination and the contest at the same time. Ching tdi e rang chuan bj cho ky thi cuéi ky va cudc thi nay cing mét hic sé rat khé cho chiing ti, 3. Noun clause as the subject of the sentence ‘What troubles us is the time of the contest Diéu gay khé khan cho ching tdi chinh Ja thai diém dién ra cudc thi. What means the thing that / which ... . Therefore, this sentence can be rewritten as follows: The thing that troubles us is the time of the contest. Td like to suggest (that) you (should) ... May I suggest that .. Considering ..., I propose that ... eg. Considering the high cost of the construction, I propose that we should stop the plan. Concerning this matter, my proposal is... On behalf of ..., [suggest ... What I want to suggest is ... www.nhantrivie.com aLVriting My suggestion is that ... In my opinion, I would say 1 propose they should ... If you ..., you had better ... eg. Ifyou go to Australia now, you had better bring some warm clothes with you. XT ek ee in a request letter advice advise arrange concern condition consequently consider for the sake of improve in case in my opinion keep doing matter out of the question _ postpone prefer prevent propose provide sb with sth rearrange regard reply revise schedule stop smoking _ suggest unreasonable unsatisfactory wish Exercise 2 went ‘You should spend about 20 minutes on this ts You paid a refundable deposit when you rented an apartment. You left the apartment in good condition but the landlord won't return your deposit. SRS CrCac Rua Loc mc Rcona tg ROR REEL sk for the return of your deposit PROS oc Ros ce ery Write at lea DO Pe RRL Begin your letter as follow bane 20 www.nhantriviet.comThe IS General Training ‘Task 1 Writing Use the phrases and sentences below to write the above letter: 1 am writing to request the return of the $1,000 deposit . When I telephoned your office, I was told that ... the deposit would be returned if the apartment was vacated clean and undamaged. there were no breakages and no damage to ... Irespectfully request that . but to seek legal advice if ... www.nhantriviet.com 21Basic IELTS Writing Chapter 3 Application Letters Application letters include applying for a position, an appointment, a course or others (a visa, an extension on a deadline, a loan, a credit card, etc.). What to include in an application letter 1. Specifically stating what it is that you are applying for or interested in applying for. 2. Identifying the reason that you are applying. Be as specific as possible. 3. Giving the reasons for which you feel you merit or qualify for the position or object/ thing you are applying for, if applicable (e.g. your goals, experience, qualifications or ac- complishments, positive traits, and so forth). 4, Identifying what you hope to accomplish by sending your letter, and the action you would like the recipient to take. 5. Indicating the date by which you would like a response to your letter, or by which you would like the action to be taken. Tips for writing an effective application letter 1. Refer to any other documentation you have enclosed with your letter, such as applica- tion or other forms (letters of recommendation, résumé, examples of your work, etc.). 2. Include a request for any information you would like to be sent, if applicable. 3. Include your contact information, such as e-mail address or phone number where you can most easily be reached and the time(s) when you are available for calls, etc. 4. Close your letter by sincerely thanking the person for his/her time or for any assistance helshe can give you Sample Letter Analysis wily BOTESOn nce neoROOR a a Se Sec ERC Orga Cage ceca PCR UR Cua Rite crs a Oke ne Cer DO ea ce te POTS Raa BER ce POOR Re eRe eee Oe DOS CCL 22 www.nhantrivietcom‘The IELTS General Training Task I Writing Dear Sir or Madam, Perhaps there is a teaching position for me in your department. My name is John Powel. Lam an Australian currently teaching English as an expert at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. It is my intention to work in Vietnam for another year or two, and so | am writing to you about the possibility of teaching at your university for the coming academic year (September 2010 — July 2011). Thave been teaching conversational English to doctoral candidates and giving lectures | to undergraduate students. Apart from classroom teaching, I also coached the school de- bating team that won the third place in the contest organised by Oxford Language School, 2008. This coming semester I will be teaching conversational English and international trade in the Management Department. I would certainly be interested in hearing from you and wish to have an appointment for an interview. For your convenience I enclose my résumé. [look forward to hearing from you and wish you a happy new year. Regards, Vokn Powel John Powel (175 words) Analysing this sample letter @ Below are the main parts of this letter: 1. Stating the purpose of writing: applying for a teaching position 2. Self introducing, and then applying for the job 3. Stating the current job, teaching experience, and accomplishments 4. Expressing hope for an interview 5. Indicating the date by which a response is expected @ Language analysis 1. perhaps is used for giving an opinion when you want to be polite and do not seem too certain or definite. Perhaps there is a teaching position for me in your department. C6 lé c6 mét ché day cho téi trong khoa ctia éng/ ba. 2. Preposition as (followed by a noun) as an expert véi tu céch l& mot chuyén gia www.nhantriviet.com 23Basic IELTS Writing 24 3. It is my intention to work... is equivalent to My intention is to work ... 4, The present perfect continuous tense: S + have/has been + V-ing is used to express an action that started in the past and still goes on continually up to now. Ihave been teaching conversational English to doctoral candidates. Tir truéc dén nay t6i day tiéng Anh dam thoai cho nghién cifu sinh, 5, Reduced participial phrase Tam an Australian currently teaching English as an expert at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. TOi IA ngudi Uc hién dang la chuyén gia gidng day tiéng Anh tai Trudng Dai hoc Cong nghé Thanh phé Hé Chi Minh, teaching English as an expert at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology is a reduced participial phrase. The complete sentence is I am an Australian who is currently teaching English as an expert at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Other examples: This is Mr. Smith speaking. = This is Mr. Smith who is speaking. Oh, it’s the cake burning! = Oh, it’s the cake that is burning! 6. It+ be +... + to do sth To do sth is the real subject of the sentence. The structure starting with It... is often used to avoid a very long subject in a sentence. It is my intention to work in Vietnam for another year or two. Toi du dinh lam vige 6 Vigt Nam mét, hai nam nt. Other examples: It’s nice not to be dependent on them. It was my duty to attend to the matter. It was against my principles to work with them, 7. Adjective clause ‘An adjective clause starting with a relative pronoun (that /who/which) modifies the noun right before it. Apart from classroom teaching, I also coached the school debating team that won the third place in the contest organised by Oxford Language School, 2008. Ngoai viéc gidng day trén lép, t6i citng phy dao cho doi hing bién cia trudng va déi da doat duge gidi ba trong cugc thi do Trung Ng6n ngit Oxford té chic vao nam 2008. www.nhantrivietcomThe IELTS Gi -neral Training Task | Writing eee 1. You have heard about the job openings from an advertisement. I would like to apply for the post of male secretary as advertised in today’s Thanh Nien News. I should like to apply for the position (of a clerk) mentioned in your advertise- ment in Thanh Nien News of August 12. Learning from Mr. John Smith that you are looking for a sales manager, I should like to apply for the position, In applying for the position of sales manager, I offer my qualifications, which I | believe will meet your exacting requirements. Your advertisement in this morning’s Post for a sales manager prompts me to offer you my qualifications for this position, 2. You have on your own tried applying for the job. | Perhaps there is a position in your esteemed company for an experienced and conscientious secretary. Shall you need an experienced desk clerk for your hotel next summer? Like many young men, I am looking for a position. I want to get started, at the bottom, perhaps, but started. 3. You mention why you are eligible for the job position, and list your skills and abilities to increase the employer's curiosity. Iam 25 years of age, and have had two years’ experience in my present post. am just leaving school, and am eighteen years old. Iam a graduate of Oxford University, and have recently completed the business course at Harvard University. Tam a graduate of Birmingham University, and have in addition the MA degree from UCLA. Thave been in the business for the last ten years and worked as the superinten- dent in the personnel department. Iam a good accountant and I am good at bookkeeping by double entry. Tam a good accountant and have a thorough knowledge of the English language. Thave a fair knowledge of shorthand, and can write ninety words per minute. 4. You mention your résumé or other documentation attached. Enclosed please find a résumé and a photo. Tenclose a résumé and a list of my publications. www.nhantriviet.com 25Basic IELTS Writing 26 5. You indicate your expected salary. The salary I should require would be 1,000 USD per month as a start. As regard salary, I leave it to you to decide after experience of my capacity, Thesitate to state a definite salary, but, as long as you have requested me to, I should consider ... a month satisfactory. Although it is difficult for me to say what compensation I should deserve, I should consider ... a month a fair initial salary. 6. You explain why you have decided to leave your present job. The only reason why I am leaving the present position is to gain more experience in a law office. J left the firm on account of the discontinuance of the business, My reason for leaving my present employment is simply that I see no chance of advancement, My reason for leaving my present employer is that I am desirous of getting broader experience in trading. 7. You indicate what you are hoping (directly asking for an interview, telling about your availability). Thope that you will be kind enough to consider my application favourably. Should you think favourably of my application, kindly grant me an interview. I should like to enter your university, to take such courses as teaching method- ology, applied linguistics and comparative literature. Lam now writing to apply for admission to the XXX department of your university. I would appreciate it very much if you could ... Your prompt response would be appreciated. If my application has convinced you of my ability, I should welcome the opportu- nity to talk with you, so that you may judge my personal qualifications further. Pokeewecs accountant apply bookkeeping credit commencing salary commission cooperate enterprise desirous employ enclose inform experience graduate handle PHD degree Master’s degree obtain offer one’s service recommend www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS General ‘Training Task 1 Writing position postgraduate qualify senior clerk response responsible scholarship render one’s service trust undergraduate Exercise 3 wait PO cn Ee RCO m Teens Sn En er eae ed ea ee Ug ea SC CCE ETL gee Seen ce ees PEO ae MeCN Re ee eRe SOM CRC a CCR Tost Oa een Be RS) BOOMs RO Ra PUR ua Creed Deas Le Use the phrases and sentences below to write the above letter: I wish to apply for the position of salesman advertised Thave been working as a salesman for five years. to know many clients my connection built with them to get more business for your firm if... My reason for leaving the present job is that ... I shall be able to be called for an interview at your convenience and .. waww.nhantriviet.com 27Basic IELTS Writing Chapter 4 Complaint Letters What to include in a complaint letter ‘A complaint letter should contain enough details so that the recipient does not have to write back requesting more. In addition, legal action is not normally threatened in the first letter of complaint unless the situation is very serious. Letters of complaint usually include the following parts: 1. Background This part describes the situation which you are making a complaint. 2. Problem This part points out cause and effect. * describing your problem and the outcome you want, focussing on the main details. ‘including key dates, such as when you purchased the goods or services and when the problem occurred 3. Solution You identify what you want for your complaint to be solved. 4, Warning (optional) ‘You give a reasonable timetable for action to be taken before you will consider other options. 5. Closing * asking for a response within a reasonable time ~ for example two weeks or 10 busi- ness days. ‘attaching a copy of any supporting relevant documentation such as a receipt or an invoice. Tips for writing an effective complaint letter 1, Address your letter to a specific person. Letters addressed to Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom It May Concern are not so effect- ive, and will likely not reach the right person. Call ahead and ask for the name of the manager and his/her administrative assistant. Writing to the assistant may ensure your letter reaches the manager. 2. The tone of complaint letters should not be aggressive or insulting. 3. A complaint letter is short and to the point and includes documentation. 4, Type your letter if possible. If it is handwritten, make sure it is neat and easy to read. 28 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS General Tiaining Task 1 Writing 5. Include all documents regarding your problem. Be sure to send copies, not originals. 6. Keep a copy of the letter for your records. Sample Letter Analysis wy CTE Cec n eats PO ne Ros eure Cm sco R ua ce ok eta sic CURL G auc BUC OR CIC Cae cerca Roe RC SEC nr Rn mien Raia Jeast 150 words. ROR Dem Tae Chtost Begin your letter as follows: De CCL Senos Dear Sir or Madam, On June 17, 2010, I purchased a washing machine (Sodina ZB55-608) from your com- pany. A few weeks ago I found that while working it turned to only one side. A technician of your factory tried to fix it but failed and I asked you to change it for a new one. Now I'm afraid that I have to ask you to change it again. This one turns to both sides all right, but it entangles the clothes so seriously that when it automatically begins to spin the water out, the machine would often shake madly and stop by itself, In the instruction booklet you have not mentioned this defect, neither have you told the user how to solve the problem, I am quite annoyed by the fact that sometimes when I came back from work to take the clothes out to dry, they were still unwashed. Please change a new one that does not entangle the clothes. I hope you will resolve the matter to our satisfaction. Yours faithfully, Lorag. Sint Larry Smith (177 words) www.nhantriviet.com 29Basi c IELTS Writing Analysing this sample letter © The main parts of this letter are: 1. The writer includes all important facts about his purchase: when and where he pur- chased the washing machine. He also mentions when he discovered the problems and what they were. 2. Next, he outlines the steps he has already taken to get the problems fixed. 3. Then, he states exactly what he wants done about the problems: changing a new wash- ing machine for him. 4. Last, he finishes his letter with a respectful tone by asking the recipient for his specific action, ® Language analysis 1. to purchase used in formal writing means to buy sth. On June 17, 2010, I purchased a washing machine from your company. Vao ngay 17 théng 6 nam 2010, téi da mua mét cai may giat ciia céng ty ng/ba. 2. would is usually followed by an infinitive without to. It is used when criticising sb or sth by saying that a particular action is typical. ‘The machine would often shake madly and stop by itself. C4i may gidt nay cif thudng xuyén Idc dir déi va rdi ty dung ngimg hoat déng. Other examples: They would often hang about in the streets, On Sundays he would sleep late. 3. The present perfect tense used in this letter describes a past action that results in a con- sequence in the present. In the instruction booklet you have not mentioned this defect, neither have you told the user how to solve the problem. (= In actual fact, now the problem does occur.) Trong cuén hudng dan si dyng, cong ty cla quy éng/ba khong dé cp dén Idi nay, ng/ba ciing khong néi cho ngudi sit dung céch khic phuc su c6 nay. Compare these two sentences: He has not finished his English composition, neither has he done his math problems. He does not finish his English composition, neither does he do his math problems. The present perfect used in the first sentence expresses a past action, and it may lead to. a certain consequence in the present while the simple present in the second sentence states a habit or a frequent action. » Inversion with negative adverbs Inversion is used to put emphasis on a particular idea, When we start the sentence with a negative word or words such as no, neither, hardly ... when, no sooner... than, etc. we have to put an auxiliary before the subject. 30 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General Training Task | Writing In the instruction booklet you have not mentioned this defect, neither have you told the user how to solve the problem. Trong cudn hung dan sit dung, céng ty clia quy ng/ba khong dé cap dén Idi nay, 6ng/ba cling khéng néi cho ngudi sit dung cach khie phuc su c6 nay. If not ... either is used, inversion is not applied: In the instruction booklet you have not mentioned this defect, and you have not told the user how to solve the problem, either. Other examples: John can’t swim, neither can I John can’t swim, I can’t either. He didn’t go, neither did she. He didn’t go and she didn’t either. 5. Clauses and phrases 1. Noun clause as the object of the main verb A few weeks ago I found that while working it turned to only one side. Cach day vai tuan téi phat hién trong hic giat cai may chi quay mét phia. I'm afraid (= fear) that I have to ask you to change it again, E ring téi phai yéu cau 6ng/ba déi né mét lin nit, 2. Noun phrase as the object of the main verb In the instruction booklet you have not mentioned this defect, neither have you told the user how to solve the problem. Trong cudn hung dan str dung, céng ty cia quy éng/ ba khong dé cap dén 18i nay, éng/ba cing khong ni cho nguii stt dung céch khéc phuc sy ¢8 nay. 3. Adjective clause Please change a new one that does not entangle the clothes. Vui lang déi mét cdi may méi khdng lam r6i quan do giat. 4, Noun clause in apposition 1 am quite annoyed by the fact that sometimes when I came back from work to take the clothes out to dry, they were still unwashed. ‘Ti rat khé chiu béi viéc thinh thoang khi di lam vé mudn lay quan do ra phoi thi chting van chua duge giat. eee T'm sorry to inform you that 1am writing to place a complaint against ... www.nhantriviet.com 31Basic IELTS Writing I feel very puzzled that ... I was shocked at ... Iwas shocked to see that ... It is very rude/impolite for ... to I must point out that ... Thave to say that .. I suggest that ... I request/am requesting that ... T would much appreciate it if you ... Would you please give me a Thope you will look into the matter and give me an immediate reply. look forward to .. I request that you refund the money in full. I think the best way to solve the problem is to replace it with a better one. If our demand is not accepted and put in practice, we would resort to other measures. ak eee annoy apologise complain defect disappoint dissatisfy embarrass inconvenient inform sb of sth refund resolve rude unreasonable Exercise 4 vita PCO Eau ROR One of the water taps in your apartment has been leaking for a few days. You have phoned the maintenance office to fix it. They promised to do it but never come. Asn on es emacs ACR TLL ‘You should write at least 100 words. (The actual test instruction requests 150 words.) ORO RRR Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam, 32 www.nhantrivie.com‘The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing ‘Use the phrases and sentences below to write the above letter: Pm sorry to bother you with this letter. It not only wastes the valuable water resource, ... end-of-term paper I can’t concentrate myself. I can’t sleep well. Thave informed the maintenance office of the matter, and they promised ... ‘Two days have passed. solve the problem as soon as possible. Ican’t endure it any more. Look forward to a quick solution. www.nhantriviet.com 33Basic IELTS Writing Chapter 5 Invitation Letters What to include in an invitation letter 1, Naming the event and including the date, time, and place. If the event has a special pur- pose, such as honouring someone or celebrating an anniversary, state this. 2, Extending the invitation: Indicating exactly who is invited (can someone bring a guest, a spouse, or a child?) 3, Including directions or a simple map if the location may be difficult to find. 4, Indicating the appropriate dress: What type of dress is appropriate or preferred. 5, Asking for a response by a specific date: Indicating your phone number and deadline to reply; preceding these facts with “RSVP” (French abbreviation for “répondez s'il vous plait = please reply”). 6. Expressing anticipation Tips for writing an effective invitation letter 1. The tone of an invitation should always be positive. Clever phrasing, poetry or a themed approach may be appropriate for an informal occasion, but you should express the details clearly. 2. Indicate if a gift is not expected. 3. Try to send your invitation letter two weeks or more in advance. Note that the following is an invitation card, not an invitation letter: Mr. & Mrs. Baker present their compliments to | Mr. & Mrs. Focker | and request the honour of their company at dinner | on Saturday the 8" January, 2011 | at 7 p.m. | | | 3 15 George Road 25" Dec. 2010 RSVP 4 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General ‘Training Task 1 Writing Sample Letter Analysis is POR an eae ORCL NRO aT CRE ORO RRR CERCLA aC RSCa Lt Ue ee RR See Cera Ose Cora Write a letter to Mr. White to invite him to Ho Chi Minh City. BOC Raa CB Rost You do NOT need to write your address. See ee CRE CRC oo Dear Jack, Tam very glad to know that you're to take part in an international conference in Ha Noi. I sincerely invite you to come to Ho Chi Minh City to see us after the conference. Thave talked about you to my parents and they also want to see you. We have moved into a big flat with 4 bedrooms. You can stay with us when you are in Ho Chi Minh City. My parents are both retited. In case I don’t have time to take you out to the scenic spots, they are willing to be your guides. My father's English is not very good, but enough for you to understand each other without difficulty. The Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Ben Thanh Market are the places you ought to see. Before you come, please give us a call. Our telephone number remains the same, but I think I'd better tell you once more. It is 12345678. I will welcome you at the airport. Please do come. We look forward to your arrival. All the best, Tha Phan Thu Phan (186 words) Analysing this sample letter @ The main parts of this letter are: 1. The writer directly invites a friend named Jack to his house in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of Jack’s attending a conference in Ha Noi. www.nhantriviet.com 3Basic IELI'S Writing 2. He then specifies how Jack will be received by his family members, and also what tour- ist attractions Jack should visit. 3. He next confirms his home phone number for Jack to give his reply. 4. He last expresses his anticipation. @® Language analysis 1. to be willing to + V means to do sth in an enthusiastic way. They are willing to be your guides. Ba me t6i sn long lam hung dn vién cho ban, 2. difficulty is an uncountable noun. It expresses the state of not being able to do sth easily. with/without difficulty My father’s English is not very good, but enough for you to understand each other without difficulty, Mac di vén tiéng Anh cia ba téi khong nhiéu nhung cing di dé hai ngudi hiéu nhau dé dang. difficulty (in) doing sth Thad some difficulty in understanding him. There was little difficulty in finding him. 3. ought to do sth is used for saying what is the right or sensible thing to do. The Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Ben Thanh Market are the places you ought to Dinh Théng Nhat, nha thé Duc Ba va chg Bén Thanh la nhéng noi ma ban nén dén tham. 2, Negative form: ought not to do sth He ought not to do that. Anh ay khong nén lam didu 6. 4. to welcome means to meet. Its antonym is to see sb off, which means to go somewhere such as a station or an airport with someone in order to say goodbye to them. Twill welcome you at the airport. Téi sé dén ban tai san bay. 5. in case is mainly used in American English. It means if. Incase I don’t have time to take you out to the scenic spots, they are willing to be your guides. Néu t6i Khong cé thoi gian dua ban di tham céc thang cénh, ba me toi sin long lam huéng din vién cho ban. Another example: In case I forget, please remind me about it. 36 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General Training ‘Task 1 Writing 6. (S) + do/does/did + V is used to emphasise the verb. Please do come. Hay dén nhé. He does speak well Anh ay thuc su ndi tét. 7. clause, but + clause = Although/ Though + clause, main clause My father’s English is not very good, but (it is) enough for you to understand each other without difficulty, = Although my father’s English is not good, it is enough for you to understand each other without difficulty. Mac di vén tigng Anh cia ba toi khong nhiéu nhung cing dil dé hai ngudi higu nhau dé dang, Note that a comma is used after the clause with Although /Though. Example: Although I had great difficulty in waking him, he swore that he was not asleep. = [had great difficulty in waking him, but he swore that he was not asleep. Sometimes, yet can be used after the clause with Although/ Though. Though the sore will be healed, yet a scar may remain, 8. Clause 1, Noun clause as the object of a verb 1am very glad to know that you're to take part in an international conference in Ha Noi Toi rat vui khi biét ring ban sp dur hoi nghi quéc t& 6 Ha Noi 2. Adjective clause The Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Ben Thanh Market are the places you ought to see. Dinh Théng Nhat, nha thé Bic Ba va cho Bén Thanh la nhting noi ma ban nén dén tham. Ps SICH INS LLM aN Cee CSS I would like to ask you to come .. I wonder if you would like to come ... I would like to invite you to a dinner. I was wondering if you could come ... Is there any chance of your coming . ‘We are planning to We would be very happy if you could come .. I cordially invite you to join us. www.nhantriviet.com 37Basie IELTS Writing I should be cheerful if you could come to Please accept my invitation. Sree accommodation accompany arrange convenient at your earliest convenience beforehand expertise entertain exhibition expect interest guest honour hospitality lecture interested interesting invite provide owing to pleasure program receive sight to take the opportunity to (do) ... travel travel and living expenses Exercise 5 veri Cte ee UR Res SO ee ECR aces ace RR aCe on Cee ROR CeCe RCnata Write to your friend on the matter. You should write at least 100 words. (The actual test instruction requests 150 words.) BOTE ORO R OR eR CEOs Begin your letter as follows: Dear ..., Use the phrases and sentences below to write the above letter: Ithas been almost three years since we The Spring Festival of 2012 is coming and we are planning to... Would you like to join us? Please let me know whether you can go or not. I sincerely hope ... 38 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing Chapter 6 Apology Letters What to include in an apology letter 1. Offering your apology at the beginning of the letter. 2. Giving some explanation for what happened. 8. Focussing on what actions you are taking to rectify the problem. 4, Providing your contact detail. Tips for writing an apology letter 1. Write an apology letter shortly after the offence. 2. Always be honest and ethical: Be honest in all your business and personal dealings. Decide to always tell the truth, Freely acknowledge what you did wrong and express sincere regret in your apology letter. 3. Accept responsibility for what you did and do not blame the other person, 4. Promise in your apology letter not to repeat your offensive action. Sample Letter Analysis outa Sanne Cee eee ee SRR ea RC SCC RSC nko ona ate will be in Canada on a business trip on that day with your boss. DONS Et era a Cee re Renker PONE NCR sam Gk Cs You do NOT need to write your addres: Begin your letter as follo ae www.nhantriviet.com 39Basic IELTS Writing =z Dear Jackie, ‘Thank you very much for inviting me to take part in your wedding ceremony on Feb. 12. First of all, please accept my warmest and most sincere congratulations to you and Mary! But I have to ask for your forgiveness of not being able to turn up at the ceremony because on that day I will be in Canada with my boss on business. You know I have just come to this firm and I am the only secretary whose English is good enough to interpret for | the boss. Therefore, I just cannot tell the boss that I won’t go with him to Canada. What a pity it is to miss your wedding ceremony! What makes me feel even uneasier is that you came to my wedding last year! Well, to make up for the disappointment, I will visit you before I leave for Canada to present my greetings to you. I will give you a call beforchand. Say hello to Mary. Yours sincerely, Larry Smith Larry Smith (170 words) Analysing this sample letter © Below are the main parts of this letter: 1. Thanking the sender for inviting him to the sender’s wedding ceremony, 2. Offering an apology and explaining the reasons. 3. Suggesting a way to make up for the problem: visiting the sender before leaving for business. @ Language analysis 1. Preposition + V-ing Thave to ask for your forgiveness of not being able to tum up at the ceremony. Téi phai xin ban thit Idi vi khéng thé dén diy 18 cuéi cia ban. 2. Exclamatory sentence: What +N +S + (V)! What a pity itis to miss your wedding ceremony! ‘That tiéc la khong thé dy lé cudi ciia ban! 3. Infinitive phrase expressing a purpose ‘To make up for the disappointment, I will visit you Dé bi lai viée da lam ban that vong, toi sé dén tham ban 40 wwwinhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General Training Task | Writing 4, Command: V... expressing an order Say hello to Mary. Cho t6i gtti lai chao Mary nhé, 5. Clauses 1. Noun clause as the object of the main verb You know Ihave just come to this firm. Ban cing biét la téi vita méi dén lam tai céng ty nay. Therefore, I just cannot tell the boss that I won’t go with him to Canada. Vi thé tdi khong thé néi véi sép 1a toi sé khong di Canada véi ong dy. 2. Noun clause as the subject of the sentence What makes me fee! even uneasier is that you came to my wedding last year! Diu khién téi cm thay ay nay hon la nam ngodi ban da dén dur dm cudi cila téi! 3. Adjective clause 1am the only secretary whose English is good enough to interpret for the boss. 1 apologise for ... I offended you quite unintentionally. Please accept my apologies. I terribly regret that ... Much to my regret, I cannot ... regret to inform you of ... I regret to say that Tam sorry that I shall not be able to ... I know ... but I'm afraid... I must say sorry to you first. I make a second apology to you. I think you can understand me. Would you mind changing another time? Would you please send another form to me? www.nhantriviet.com, 41$ Writing I cannot .. because ... This is the reason that 1 .. The reason why I was late is that .. This is one of the reasons I couldn’t make it. The only reason for the delay is that ... Thope you will accept my sincere apologies for .. Will you be good enough to excuse me for ... accident admit apologise apology arrange arrangement arrival arrive ashamed avoid blame correct do wrong excuse expected fail forgive misunderstand misunderstanding neglect duties offend pardon redress errors regret regretful reimburse for a loss reason pay damages sorry to see to it turn up unintentionally wrong Exercise 6 weit POE ON eee s SO RR a RR Cnc ma Cen eT tell him the reason and your arrangement. DOS eee om UR MELE re aoa Se EUR) DOR OP Os ROR pee lc. Begin your letter as follow: pa 42 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS General ‘raining Task 1 Writing ‘Use the sentences below to write the above letter: Ym terribly sorry to say that I am not able to ... because ... Thope you will understand me, and therefore forgive me. In order that you won't have any difficulty coming to my house, [ have ... Nam will wait at the exit, holding a board which reads “Welcome Thomas White from New York”. Twill give you a ring immediately after the meeting. www.nhantriviet.com 43ame ate 44eclaay The IELTS Academic OS SA Se (stotsBasic IELTS Writing The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing is not an easy part of the exam. Candidates are expected to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on some graphic or pictorial information in their own words, usually for a university lecturer. The task may require candidates to describe trends in a graph, or links in a process. Sometimes, they may be asked to compare and/or contrast between two different sets of data. It is recommended that twenty minutes be spent on this task. 46 www.nhantrivietcom‘The IELI Academic isk | Wing Chapter! Describing Graphs or Charts Task 1 in the Academic Writing test is considered an important academic skill. Overall, the instructions given ask candidates to describe the general graphic or pictorial information, and then state: Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. The task here is intended for a university lecturer, so the language used should be appropriate. 1, An overview Time limit: 20 minutes Length: at least 150 words Aim: This task tests candidates’ ability to organise the information in a logical way, and possibly make comparisons and/or contrasts based on the information provided. Format: Candidates will be asked to describe some information presented in a visual format (graph, chart, table, or diagram). Line graphs: The function of a line graph is to describe a trend pictorially. You, there- fore, should try and describe the trend in it. If there are many lines in the graph, then just describe the trend generally. If there is only one or two, then use more detail. So, describe the movement of the line(s) of the graph giving numerical detail at the important points of the line, Bar charts: Basically, with a bar chart, you need to describe the bars and their values. When describing a bar chart, you first have to decide in what order to describe the bars, from the highest value to the lowest value or from the lowest value to the highest value. It may be a mixture of this. If there are very many bars, you can sometimes group together for the description of one, two or three bars which have similar or the same values. If there are very many and you cannot group them, then just describe the ones that are the most significant. Pie charts: Pie charts are relatively straightforward as they only usually have a few sections though this is not always the case. You need to describe the segments and their values. If there are very many, then just describe the ones that are the most significant. The values are often expressed in percentages but not always; so, be careful what scale you are using. Tables: Tables can sometimes be tricky as they provide a lot of information, and i often awkward and difficult to describe every piece of information. You have to decide and describe the values and sections that are the most significant. 2. Content 1. The introduction should describe the purpose of the report and say what overall trends can be seen. www.nhantriviet.com 47Basic IELTS Writing 2, The body should describe the most important trends while all information is summa- rised to avoid unnecessary details. Remember, summarising does not mean throwing away information. The secret here is to select what is important, organise it, and compare and/or contrast. 3. The conclusion should sum up the global trends shown on the figure and compare and/or contrast them if possible. 3. Tips to achieve this task 1. The information given in a visual format must be presented accurately and coherently. 2. The paragraphs should be linked by sentences that are logically connected with one another. 3. The organisation is of logical paragraphing with an introductory sentence, a well- organised body and a concluding sentence. 4. The main features given in the graph, chart, table, or diagram must be reported. Can- didates’ personal opinion must not be included, 5. You must write at least 150 words. Failure to do so will be penalised. In whatever form the chart or the graph is, the candidates’ job is to use their written lan- guage to describe the data, or to compare and/or contrast them. For example: (Figure 1) Proportions of US population of 10-19 and 70 and older between 1970 and 2030 1970 2000 2030 10-19 years old ~--70and older 48 waww.nhantriviet.comS Academic Task | Writing (Figure 2) Proportions of US population of 10-19 and 70 and older between 1970 and 2030 (Dio-t yearsolé 70 and older The data given in Figure 1 (line graph) and Figure 2 (bar chart) are quite the same. We can, therefore, describe them by writing one sentence in each line. These sentences can eventually form a passage. In 1970, 10% of the US population was between 10 and 19 At that time, 4% of the population was 70 years of age and older. In the year 2000, the population of 10 to 19 was 8% and that of 70 and older was 45%. But by the year 2030, 7% of the population will be between 10 and 19, and over 6% will be 70 and older. Another example: (Table 1) A comparison of population and consumption of world resources in 1995 Ce Ror Re eterna Asia (except Japan) 48.2 86 Japan 28 15 Burope 245 5 North America 64 2 South America 18 4 Africa 97 38 Oceania 06 16 wwwanhanttiviet.com 49Basic IELTS Writing (Figure 3) A comparison of population and consumption of world resources in 1995 245% 2% 63% a a Oceanid“0.6% Population Consumption of world resources Although Table 1 and Figure 3 (pie charts) are presented in different forms, a similar de- scription can be written about them. We can, hence, describe them by writing one sentence in each line. These sentences can eventually form a passage. Japan, Europe, and North America, with 33.7% of the world population, consume 82% of the world resources. Of these countries, Japan (with 2.89% of the world population) consumes 15%. North America consumes 22%, and Europe consumes 45%. The whole of Asia (except Japan), occupying 48.2% of the world population, consumes 8.6%, and Africa consumes 3.8%. As seen from the examples above, all similar information can be presented in the differ- ent visual formats. Most IELTS Academic Tasks 1 give candidates a single visual format, but sometimes two different graphic formats are also shown with quite obviously different information. 4, Tips for doing Task 1 No matter what graph, chart, table, or diagram you are describing, you should apply these tips: Identify and recognise different graphic forms, such as line graphs, bar charts, pie charts, etc. 1. Some exam titles ask candidates to describe and compare rising or falling changes in data over time. This type of task usually uses line graphs, bar charts, or tables. For example: 50, www.nhantriviet.com:The IELTS Academie Task 1 Writing (Figure 4) Proportion of US population of 10-19 between 1970 and 2030 1970 2000 2030 2. Some exam titles ask candidates to describe and compare the information in different categories of data at the same period of time. This type of task often uses pie charts, bar charts, or tables, too. For example: (Figure 5) A comparison of population and consumption of world resources in 1995 Resource Consumption Population aare[ | ae oT wf [sal Jax 2% wal__[osx suf e 29% ra » [pes wma asm On ocemia ——AN Alice SA SeuhAmern Na Nock Amerie E-Euupe | J=lapen A= Asin xz Jae) 3. Most exam titles ask candidates to describe and compare both types mentioned above. Look at the following table and the sample paragraph: (Table 2) Male and female students as % of total of two universities Male Students STEYR arnt 2007 2008 www.nhantriviet.com 51Basic IELTS Writing The table shows the changes of percentage of male students and female students in University A and University B between 2006 and 2008. In 2006, the proportion of male students occupied 18% of the total in University A, while in the following two years, the proportion was 20%, indicating an increase of 2%. But in University B, the proportion of both male and female students fluctuated a great deal during this period. In 2006, the proportion of female students in University B was 45%, but in 2007 the proportion was 25%, a sharp fall by 20%. But in 2008, the proportion rose to 50%, twice as much as that in 2007. At the same time, the number of male students experienced first a big increase and then a sharp fall. Overall, in the three years indicated in the table, the percentage of male and female students in University A remained basically stable, but that in University B fluctuated significantly. (159 words) @® How to write a good passage for Task 1 Task 1, in fact, requires candidates to describe and interpret visual information. There- fore, you should know what key information, comparisons and trends to look out for. Remember that the function of many graphs is to describe a trend; so, be sure to describe the trend. The trend is how values change generally over time, it is thus important to describe the changes along with some of the individual values. When you write about a line graph, it is important to look first at the title of the graph. This tells you what information the graph displays, and you can use this information in your description. Line graphs often describe changes. Bar charts and column charts are often used to make multiple comparisons. Pie charts normally show proportion, which can be measured in percentages or fractions. When describing a graph of trends, you should state what the overall trend is (upward, downward, or unchanging), and mention the initial and final figures. You should also men- tion the lowest and highest points reached. It is recommended that you ask (and also answer) the following questions when doing Task 1: 1. What exactly does the graph /chart/ table show? Use the title, and possibly the axes, to answer this question. 2. What are the axes and what are the units (for graphs and charts)? You do not have to include this information in your description, but asking yourself helps you to avoid errors. 52 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IEL Academic ‘Task I Writing 3. Are there any obvious trends? If there is an obvious trend, it is important to mention this, 4. Is there any significant information? Look for obvious differences such as the largest, the smallest. 5. Are there any obvious exceptions to general trends? You will not normally see a graph with a straight line; most will fluctuate in some way or another. Once you have identified a trend, point out the exceptions. 6, What conclusions can you draw from the information presented in the graph /chart /table? Be careful not to draw conclusions which are not supported by the information in the graph/chart table. A simple example is shown below for you to know how to describe changes. This line graph shows the sales of motorcycles of Company X in 2008 (without figures). (Figure 6) Sales of motorcycles of Company X in 2008 (without figures) ua Feb Mar Apr-May Jun —Tul_—Aug— Sept Oct Now Doe In the first quarter, the sales steadily went up, but the momentum of rising did not maintain. In April the sales began to fall until June, and then they levelled off from mid-June to the end of August. From carly September, the sales picked up slightly, but at the end of October, they dropped sharply until they reached their nadir in December. The sentences related to Figure 6 do not point out the specific sales of motorcycles of Company X, but they just describe the trends of sales. The sentences written about Figures 1, 2, 3, and Table 1 only list data or figures, but they have not described their changes (Figures 1 and 2), nor have they compared these data or figures (Table 1 and Figure 3). As a result, they cannot form a complete passage to meet the requirement of Task 1 www.nhantriviet.com 53Basic IELTS Writing The sentences written about Figures 1 and 2 can be developed into a satisfactorily com- plete passage like this: From the graph, we can see that in 1970, 10% of the US population was between 10. | and 19. At that time, 4% of the population was 70 years of age and older. In the year 2000, the population of 10 to 19 dropped by 2% to 8% compared with that in 1970, and that of 70.and older was 4.5%, 0.5% more than in 1970. But by the year 2030, the percentage of the population between 10 and 19 will have declined to 7%; on the contrary, that of the population of 70 and older will have risen to 6%. Obviously in the 30 years from 2000 to 2030, the increase of the population of 70 and older will be much more rapid than that from 1970 to 2000. After the phrases and sentences in bold have been added, the passage turns from just list- ing data into describing and explaining changes embedded in a good passage which satisfac- torily meets the requirement of the IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing test. Similarly, the passage on Table 1 and Figure 3 would be satisfactory if the following phrases and sentences in bold are added: It is clear that the major industrial regions consume a greater part of the world resources. In fact, Japan, Europe, and North America, with 33.7% of the world population together consume 82% of the world resources. Of these countries, Japan (with 2.8% of the world population) consumes 15%, North America consumes 22%, and Europe consumes 45%. Developing countries, on the other hand, consume a small part of the world resources. In particular, the whole of Asia (except Japan), occupying 48.2% of the world popula tion, consumes 8.6%, and Africa consumes 3.8%. It is clearly seen that the population of the developing countries is more than that of the developed countries by 1/3, but the resources they consume are merely 1/10 of those consumed by developed countries. @ How to satisfactorily complete Task 1 To be able to satisfactorily complete Task 1 in 20 minutes or less, you should be able to write your answer according to the following organisation: 54 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing Start your passage with an introduction by writing one sentence to introduce the subject of the graph. For example, the following sentence can be added to the passage on Figures 1 and 2: The graph shows the change of the population between 10 and 19 and that of 70 and older of the US. You can also add one sentence to conclude it: Therefore, we can see that the population of the US is changing with an increase in the percentage of older people and a decrease of the young. | This sentence can be added as an introduction to the passage on Table 1 and Figure 3: The table (or graph) shows the consumption of resources in relation to population in different parts of the world in the 90s of the 20" century. And this sentence as a conclusion should be added: Obviously, the world is using its resources unfairly. As a result, great differences have been caused between developed and developing countries. In sum, as mentioned above, these two passages with an introduction, a body and a con- clusion may satisfactorily meet the requirement of the task. By answering the following questions with appropriate paragraphing, you can write a well-organised passage on Figures 1 and 2. 1. What is the subject of the graph? (The introduction) ~ The graph shows the change of the population of the US, specifically that between 10 and 19 and that of 70 and older. 2. What was the percentage of the population between 10 and 19 in 1970? In 1970, 10% of the US population was between 10 and 19. 3. What was the percentage of the population of 70 and older? — At that time, 4% of the population was 70 years of age and older. 4, What was the change of both the percentage of the population between 10 and 19 and that of the population of 70 and older in 2000? — In the year 2000, the population of 10 and 19 dropped by 2% to 8% compared with that in 1970, and that of 70 and older was 4.5%, 0.5% more than in 1970. www.nhantriviet.com 55Basic IELTS Writing 5. What will be the result in the change of the percentages of the two groups of population by 2030? ~ But by the year 2030, the percentage of the population between 10 and 19 will have declined to 7%; on the contrary, that of the population of 70 and older will have risen to 6%. 6. What does the change from 2000 to 2030 tell? — Obviously in the 30 years from 2000 to 2030, the increase of the population of 70 and older will be much more rapid than that from 1970 to 2000. (Answers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 form the body.) 7. What can we conclude from the graph? (The conclusion) — Therefore, we can see that the population of the US is changing with an increase in the percentage of older people and a decrease of the young. From this typical example, you can now be aware that a list of questions should be used to organise your writing, Also note that your questions should include comparisons between data or the consequences resulted from the changes of data, etc. @ Isit necessary to include all the data given in the visual information? One important issue with the IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing test is how much detail should be included in your report. This really depends on how much detail there is in the question. If there is only one graph/chart/table, and it does not have much numerical data in it, then you will be expected to include all or nearly all of the numerical detail. If, however, you have two graphs/charts/tables, both of which are very complicated with lots of values, you will not be expected to include everything as you are required to write approximately 150 words in your answer. Just look out for key information, comparisons and trends to write an in-depth description of the information given. Include details from the most important to the least important, depending on the number of figures provided. For instance, South America and Oceania are not discussed in the passage on Table 1 and Figure 3 since their data are relatively unimportant while all the data from Figures 1 and 2 are analysed as the information are of limited figures (only 6 figures). © What NOT to include in your answer Describe the data only. Do not give your interpretation of them. You are not being asked why you think the data in the chart is the way it is; therefore, do not write about that. 56 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing For example, the following sentences must not be added to the answer on Figures 1 and 2: I think the cause of the rapid decrease of young people is that the parents want to live more comfortably by themselves. In order to avoid this in China, we should ask the parents not to be selfish. Sample Passage Analysis POM ne connec k CRC. S China's one-child policy has been carried out successfully, but the proportion of CO ROR ee CER Cen cena POO an Cee a onan Cen Cee mec IVER ge neat aoe aioe Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the chart Do BO Ree GR To (Figure 7) The proportion of single-child families in cities, outskirts and rural areas of China 1980-2000 % 1940 100 | oi TM 1980 col ! | | avo 0 | y 60 HH 1 | so ] | 0 ' | | x0 / |) to ma | ol ti Z Ouiskirts Rural Areas www.nhantriviet.com 57Basic IELTS Writing The chart shows the proportion of single-child families in cities, outskirts and rural areas of China between 1980 and 2000. While in 1980, the proportion in cities and outskirts reached 50% and 40% respect- ively, the proportion in rural areas was only 10% Ten years later in 1990, the proportion almost doubled in cities, reaching 95%, and that in outskirts increased 30% from 40% to 70%, while rural areas experienced a rise of only 10%, reaching 20% of the total in those areas, However, in 2000, the proportion jumped sharply to 70%, three times more than that in 1990, having greatly narrowed the gaps between rural areas and the other two areas. In 2000, almost all the families in cities and outskirts have realised the goal of one child in each family. Obviously, there is still a long way to go before the proportion of single-child families in rural areas reaches the same level as that of cities and outskirts. (159 words) Analysing this sample passage @® Below isa list of questions that the passage has answered: 1. What does this chart show? 2. What were the proportions of single-child families in 1980 in cities, outskirts and rural areas respectively? What were the changes of the proportions in 1990? ically between 1990 and 2000? Which areas have almost reached the goal of single-child family by 2000? What was the change of rural areas speci Will rural areas catch up with cities and outskirts soon? @ The answers are organised like this: The introduction: Question 1 The body: Questions 2-5 The conclusion: Question 6 @ Which data along the horizontal and vertical axes are described? 1. The passage describes the proportion of single-child fami rural areas of China in 1980: in cities, outskirts and While in 1980, the proportion in cities and outskirts reached 50% and 40% respectively, the proportion in rural areas was only 10%. 58 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing. 2. The passage then makes a comparison of the post-rising proportion in these areas in 1990: cities: , outskirts: 70%, rural areas: 20% 3. The passage points out the post-rising proportion of single-child families in three areas — cities, outskirts and rural areas - from 1990 to 2000: Ten years later in 1990, the proportion almost doubled in cities, ... that in outskirts increased 30%, ... rural areas experienced a rise of only 10%. 4, The passage then compares the post-rising proportion of single-child families in rural areas from 1990 to 2000: However, in 2000, the proportion jumped sharply to 70%, three times more than that in 1990, @ Language analysis 1. while and respectively While in 1980, the proportion in cities and outskirts reached $0% and 40% respectively, the proportion in rural areas was only 10%, Mac dit vao nam 1980, ti 1é (gia dinh mét con) & céc than! mifc 50% va 40%, nhung ti lé nay & néng thén chi la 10%, 16 va ngoai thanh lan luot dat While in this sentence does not mean as, but it is equivalent to although + clause, main clause, While-clause used in this sense is usually put at the beginning of the sentence. Another example: While I like the colour of the hat, I do not like the shape. respectively is used for saying that something happens separately to each of the people or things mentioned in the order in which they were mentioned. Another example: ‘The best months for cars and trucks were September and November respectively and the worst months for cars and trucks were October and July respectively. 2. Reduced participial phrase and that Ten years later in 1990, the proportion almost doubled in cities, reaching 95%, and that in outskirts increased 30% from 40% to 70%, while rural areas experienced a rise of only 10%, reaching 20% of the total in those areas. Musi nam sau, vao nam 1990, ti lé nay hau nhu tang gap ddi 6 thanh phé, dat toi 95%, va tile & ngoai thanh tang 30%, ter 40% lén téi 70%, trong khi néng thén chi tang 10%, dat téng céng 20%. In this sentence, there are two language points that need pointing out: Reduced participial phrase Reaching 95% is a reduced participial phrase modifying the noun proportion. It may be rewritten as follows: www.nhantriviet.com 59Basic IELTS Writing 60 Ten years later in 1990, the proportion which reached 95% almost doubled in cities. Reaching 20% of the total in those areas is also a reduced participial phrase modifying the whole clause right before it, It may be rewritten as follows: while rural areas experienced a rise of only 10%, which reached 20% of the total in those areas. Another example: However, in 2000, the proportion jumped sharply to 70%, three times more than that in 1990, having greatly narrowed the gaps between rural areas and the other two areas. that that is used in place of the proportion with the aim of avoiding the repetition of the same noun. Another example: The crop in 1988 was inferior to that of 1987. (The crop is not repeated.) 3. Noun phrase and participial phrase However, in 2000, the proportion jumped sharply to 70%, three times more than that in 1990, having greatly narrowed the gaps between rural areas and the other two areas. Tuy nhién, vao nam 2000, ti lé nay tang vot lén téi 70%, gap 3 lan ti Ié vao nam 1990, thu hep Khoang cach dang ké gita néng thén va hai ving cdn Iai In order to vary the structures, a noun phrase and a participial phrase can be used in place of an adjective clause. This sentence may be rewritten as follows: However, in 2000, the proportion jumped sharply to 70%, which is three times more than that in 1990 and which had greatly narrowed the gaps between rural areas and the other two areas. www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academie Task 1 Writing, Sample Passage Analysis Pre ONG CEN Rms Pee co cco ac So eereee Rt Bee cee ke ean eee Coe eee OR IRe LY Write a report for a group of college students describing the information in the eres POE CR oR aoe (Figure 8) The change of the unemployment rate in Canada 1996-2006 mple ‘The graph shows the change of the unemployment rate in Canada from January 1996 to January 2006, From the graph, we can see that during the ten years; the unemployment rate fluctuated a great deal In general, from 1996 to 2002, it was decreasing sharply from 6.6% to 3.8%, a fall of nearly 3 percent. In this period, the year of 1996 saw a dramatic drop of the rate (more than 1%). In the years of 1997 and 1998, however, the rate kept basically stable (a total drop of 0.2% only). In 2001 and 2002, we s« steady fall, but then from 2003 to 2006, the rate had a sud- den rise, especially in 2003. It went up by almost 2%, and in 2005, it increased to a peak of 6.3%, only 0.3% less than that in 1996. Although the rate of unemployment fell again from the highest point in 2005 (6.3%) to that of 5.5% in 2006, 5.5% was still higher than that in most of the years. (169 words) | www.nhantriviet.com 61Basie TELTS Writing Analysing this sample passage @ Below is a list of questions that the passage has answered: 1. What is the subject of the graph? 2. What is the general character of the change of the unemployment rate? 3. What are the changes from 1996 to 2002? 4, What is the change in 1996? 5. What are the changes in 1997 and 1998? 6. What are the changes from 2003 to 2006? 7. What are the rates in 2005 and 2006? ® The answers to these questions are organised like this: The introduction: Question 1 The body: Questions 2 ~ 6 The conclusion: Question 7 ® Of which periods are the data described and compared? The data of the following periods are described and compared: 1. The situation of the unemployment rate in Canada in ten years from 1996 to 2006: From the graph, we can see that during the ten years, the unemployment rate fluctuated a great deal. 2. The changes of the unemployment rate in seven years from 1996 to 2002: In general, from 1996 to 2002, it was decreasing sharply from 6.6% to 3.8%, a fall of nearly 3 percent. In this period, the year of 1996 saw a dramatic drop of the rate (more than 1%). 3. The unemployment rate in two years from 1997 to 1998: In the years of 1997 and 1998, however, the rate kept basically stable (a total drop of 0.2% only), 4, The changes of the unemployment rate from 2003 to 2006: ... but then from 2003 to 2006, the rate had a sudden rise, especially in 2003. It went up by almost 2%, and in 2005, it increased to a peak of 6.3%, only 0.3% less than that in 1996. 5. The changes of the unemployment rate in 2003 and 2005: especially in 2003. It went up by almost 2%, and in 2005, it increased to a peak of 6.3%, only 0.3% less than that in 1996. @ Of which years are the data described and compared? 1. The data of the year 1996 are pointed out: In this period, the year of 1996 saw a dramatic drop of the rate (more than 1%), 62 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academie Task 1 Writing 2. The data of 2005 and 2006 are compared: Although the rate of unemployment fell again from the highest point in 2005 (6.3%) to that of 5.5% in 2006, 5.5% was still higher than that in most of the years, © Language analysis 1. The past continuous tense In general, from 1996 to 2002, it was decreasing sharply from 6.6% to 3.8%, a fall of nearly 3 percent. Nhin chung, ti nam 1996 dén nam 2002, ti lé that nghiép da giam manh tir 6,6% xudng cdn 3,8%, gidm gan 3 phan tram, ‘The past simple (it decreased sharply) may be used in this case, but the past continuous does emphasise the state of the decrease which was in steady progress from 1996 to 2002. Also note the phrase a fall of nearly 3 percent at the end of this sentence. Actually, per- cent used instead of % makes the sentence end in a more expressive tone, 2. however In the years of 1997 and 1998, however, the rate kept basically stable (a total drop of 0.2% only). Tuy nhién trong hai nam 1997 va 1998, ti Ié nay vé co ban gitt 6n dinh (chi gid ng cOng 0,2 %). The conjunction however or nevertheless should be used to connect the sentences, form- ing a coherent passage. But/ Yet may be used instead, but they must come at the beginning of the sentence. Example: But/ Yet in the years of 1997 and 1998, the rate kept basically stable (a total drop of 0.2% only). 3. that Although the rate of unemployment fell again from the highest point in 2005 (6.3%) to that of 5.5% in 2006, 5.5% was still higher than that in most of the years. Mac di ti lé that nghiép mét lan nda sut gidm tir inh diém vao nam 2005 (6,39) xudng cdn 5,5% yao nam 2006, nhung 5,5% van cdn cao hon so véi ti lé that nghiép 6 hau hét céc nam truéc. As explained in the previous passage, that is used to replace the noun already mentioned before to avoid repetition. Another example: The best coal is that from Oxfordshire. www.nhantriviet.com 63Basic IELTS Writing 4, Noun phrase In general, from 1996 to 2002, it was decreasing sharply from 6.6% to 3.8%, a fall of nearly 3 percent. Nhin chung, ti nam 1996 dén nam 2002, ti l gidm gan 3 phan tram. that nghiép da gidm manh tir 6,6% xudng cdn 3,8%, a fall of nearly 3 percent is a noun phrase which is used here to create a variety to your writing but still keeps the meaning of the sentence unchanged. It may be rewritten with an adjective clause, like this: In general, from 1996 to 2002, it was decreasing sharply from 6.6% to 3.8%, which is a fall of nearly 3 percent. Sample Passage Analysis You should spend about 20 minutes on this task eons cock ke eg nse hee Pores Ree Cor aro Cee reno SON Ru a coe CROs (Figure 9) Temperature of Cano City in 2008 and the average temperature from 1977 to 2007 Jan Feb Mar Ape May Jun Jul. Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec ‘The average temperature from 1977 to 2007 w-o--++ Temperature in 2008 64 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing SE The graph shows the average temperature of Cano City in the past 30 years and that in 2008. Itcan be seen from the graph that overall the temperature in 2008 was above the average. Although in January and February the temperature in 2008 was about two degrees below the average, in the rest of the year, the temperature was higher. ‘The temperature in March and April remained roughly the same as the average. How- ever, from May to mid-July, the temperature kept high, about two degrees higher, even though there were a few days in which the temperature dropped to lower than the average. “The highest temperature appeared in mid-August, hitting a peak of over 35 degrees, nearly 4 degrees above the average. In the last few months of the year, the temperature was close to that of the average, but it was still one to two degrces higher. 2008 was certainly a warm year. (155 words) Analysing this sample passage Below is a list of questions that the passage has answered: 1. What does the graph show? 2. What was the temperature in 2008 generally? 3. What was the temperature in January and February compared with the rest of the year? What was the temperature in March and April? ‘What was the temperature from May to mid-July? What was the peak temperature in 2008? What was the temperature in the last few months? ena e What is the conclusion? @ The answers to these questions can be organised like this: ‘The introduction: Question 1 ‘The body: Questions 2 ~ 7 ‘The conclusion: Question 8 www.nhantriviet.com 65Basic eLTS Writing ® Which temperature is described and compared? The following data are described and compared: 1. The temperature in 2008 is compared to that of the past 30 years: It can be seen from the graph that overall the temperature in 2008 was above the average. 2. The temperature in the first two months and the remaining months of 2008 is compared to that of the average: Although in January and February the temperature in 2008 was about two degrees below the average, in the rest of the year, the temperature was higher. 8. The temperature in March and April is compared: The temperature in March and April remained roughly the same as the average. 4, The temperature from May to mid-July is compared to the average: However, from May to mid-July, the temperature kept high, about two degrees higher, even though there were a few days in which the temperature dropped to lower than the average. 5. The temperature in the last few months is compared to that of the average: close to that of the average, but it In the last few months of the year, the temperature w: was still one to two degrees higher. @ In which months alone are the data described and compared? 1. The temperature in March and April is mentioned: The temperature in Match and April remained roughly the same as the average. 2. The temperature in August alone is pointed out: The highest temperature appeared in mid-August, hitting a peak of 35 degrees, neatly 4 degrees above the average. © Language analysis 1. remain The temperature in March and April remained roughly the same as the average. Nhiét 46 trong théng ba va thang tu vin xép xi nhiét d@ trung binh. remain is an intransitive verb which never has a passive structure. Appear, keep and drop used in this passage are also intransitive verbs though keep and drop can be transitive verbs in other cases. 66 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing 2, Participial phrase The highest temperature appeared in mid-August, hitting a peak of 35 degrees, nearly 4 degrees above the average, Nhigt d6 cao nhat xudt hign vao gitta thang tam, cham dinh 35 dé, trén nhiét 46 trung binh gan 4 do. hitting a peak of 35 degrees is a participial phrase which is used to add a variety to your writing. It may be rewritten as follows: The highest temperature which/that hit a peak of 35 degrees, nearly 4 degrees above the average, appeared in mid-August. 3. above and below above and below are employed in the passage to avoid using so many sentences of comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. 4, the average The definite article the must be used in this phrase, 5. however and even though However, from May to mid-July, the temperature kept high, about two degrees higher, even though there were a few days in which the temperature dropped to lower than the average Tuy nhién, tir thang nam dén gidta thang bay, nhiét d6 van & mite cao, hon khoding 2 49, mac dt cd mét vai ngay nhiét 46 xudng thép hon mhigt a6 trung binh, Two points in this sentence need noticing: However is a transition signal showing the contrast between the previous sentence and the following one while even though is a connector showing the contrast within a sentence. www.nhantriviet.com 67Basic IELTS Writing Sample Passage Analysis SO Coenen CRTC Re Le Company ABC exports its products mainly to North America and Europe. Peon cee Ue ee teeter ee ee ouP RCP UO} Dean eo Ne ets age er ea Ce cee eons POR ea eGR Tos ce (Figure 10) Sales figures of Company ABC’s export to North America and Europe 2003-2008 1 Expon wo Eur pS ps | The bar chart displays the company’s sales figures of export to North America and | Europe from 2003 to 2008. It can be seen that in these years, the export to North America increased steadily but that to Europe did not keep rising. It increased from 2003 to 2005, then the figure remained unchanged in 2006. After that, it kept falling from 2007 to 2008. So far as the value of export is concerned, the export to North America almost tripled from 1.8 million dollars to 5.5 million in the six years, but the export to Europe frst experi- enced a rise from 2.6 million dollars in 2003 to 4 million in 2005 and 2006, and then a fall from 4 million dollars to 2 million in 2008, a decrease of 50%. 2006 was the year when the total value of export reached the highest point of 9 million | dollars while in the following two years it dropped to 8.8 million in 2007 and 7.5 million in 2008. (166 words) 68 www.nhantriviet.comAcademie Task 1 Writing Analysing this sample passage @ Below is a list of questions that the passage has answered: 1. What does the chart display? On the whole, what was the general trend of the export to North America and Europe? What is the value of export to North America in the years described? What is the value of export to Europe in the years described? In which year the total value of export was the highest? What was the total value of export in 2007 and 2008? ay ken @® The answers to these questions are organised like this: The introduction: Question 1 The body: Questions 2 - 4 The conclusion: Questions 5 ~ 6 eo Which sales figures of export are included? The passage presents the company’s sales figures of export to North America and Europe from 2003 to 2008: It can be seen that in these years, the export to North America increased steadily but that to Europe did not keep rising. It increased from 2003 to 2005, then the figure remained un- changed in 2006, After that, it kept falling from 2007 to 2008. Co thé thay ring trong nhiing nam nay, kim ngach xuat khau sang Bac My tang déu nhung kim ngach xuat khdu sang chau Au khéng tang déu. Kim ngach xuat khdu tang tiv nam 2003 dén nam 2005 réi gitr nguyén trong ném 2006, Sau dé né cif gidm tiv nam 2007 dén nam 2008. e Which sales figures of export are described and compared? The following data are described and compare 1. The sales figures of export to North America: So far as the value of export is concerned, the export to North America almost tripled from 1.8 million dollars to 5.5 million in the six years. Vé gid tri xudt khdu, kim ngach xuat khau sang Bac Mi nam tit 1,8 trigu déla lén 5,5 trigu déla. xin nhu tang gap ba lan trong su 2. The sales figures of export to Europe: but the export to Europe first experienced a rise from 2.6 million dollars in 2003 to 4 million in 2005 and 2006, and then a fall from 4 million dollars to 2 million in 2008, a decrease of 50%. ..nhung kim ngach xuat khdu sang chau Au dau tién tang tir 2,6 trigu déla trong nam 2003 len 4 trigu déla trong nam 2005 va 2006, va r6i gidm tir 4 trigu déla xuOng con 2 triéu trong nam 2008, mtic gidm 50% www.nhantrivietcom 69Basic IELTS Writing 3. The figures of export in 2006: 2006 was the year when the total value of export reached the highest point of 9 million dollars while in the following two years it dropped to 8.8 million in 2007 and 7.5 million in 2008. Nam 2006 la nam ma téng gid tri xuat khdu dat dén dinh diém 9 triéu déla trong khi hai nam tiép theo con s6 nay gidm xudng 8,8 trigu trong nam 2007 va 7,5 trigu trong nam 2008, © Language analysis 1. display The bar chart displays the company’s sales figures of export to North America and Europe from 2003 to 2008. Biéu dd hinh c§t cho thay c4c doanh s6 xuat khau sang Bac M¥ va chau Au ctia cng ty tir nam 2003 dén nam 2008, In English, display can be substituted by show, indicate, reveal, describe, demonstrate, etc. 2. remain The figure remained unchanged in 2006. Con s6 nay vn gitt nguyén trong nam 2006. Remain is an intransitive verb which cannot be used in the passive construction. 3. So far as ... + be + concerned So far as the value of export is concerned, ... Vé gid tri xudt khéu, .. Both So far as ... is/was concerned and As far as ... is/was concerned mean About ... Another example: As far as he was concemed, things were going well. 4, triple The export to North America almost tripled from 1.8 million dollars to 5.5 million in the six years. Kim ngach xuat khau sang Bac My gan nhu tang gap ba lan trong su nam tir 1,8 trigu déla lén 5,5 trigu déla, to triple means to increase by three times. You can also use to be three times as many/much as ... So, this sentence may be rephrased as follows: The export to North America in 2008 was almost three times as much as that in 2003. 5. while 2006 was the year when the total value of export reached the highest point of 9 million dol- lars while in the following two years it dropped to 8.8 million in 2007 and 7.5 million in 2008. 70 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academie Task 1 Writing Nam 2006 1a nam ma téng gid tri xudt khdu dat dén dinh diém 9 trigu dola trong khi hai nam tigp theo con sé nay gidm xudng 8,8 trigu trong nim 2007 va 7,5 triéu trong nam 2008. While means whereas which can be used for comparing two things, people, situations, etc., and showing that there is an important difference between them. Another example: I like tea while she likes coffee. Frequently-used words and expressions in describing charts/graphs/tables and changes of data As you will see below, there are a number of words and phrases which are similar in meaning. They may enrich your lexical resource which gives a good impression on the examiner who will read and mark your writing, The following words and phrases are particularly useful for line graphs, but they may also be used where appropriate to describe the other types of graph. (Note: All the verbs are in the past simple because most charts reported facts and figures in the past. If you want to present possible figures for the future, you have to use them in the future tense.) 1. Verbs or verb phrases that mean: 1. to become larger in amount or number tang lén, ting trudng rose wentup _increased The adverbs which modify these verbs include: suddenly, rapidly, dramatically, significantly, sharply, steeply, steadily, gradually, slowly, slightly. jumped All of the adverbs listed above may go with this verb except steadily, gradually, slowly, slightly. 2. to become Jess in amount or number giim xudng, sut giam dropped fell decreased -— declined The adverbs which commonly go with rise, go up and increase may be used with these verbs. plunged All of the adverbs listed above may go with this verb except steadily, gradually, slowly, slightly, 3, to continue at the same rate, level, or amount over a particular period of time gitt nguyén, gid én dinh levelled off. remained constant remained steady remained unchanged www.nhantriviet.com aBasic IELTS Writing 2 4. to have reached the highest amount or level dat dén dinh diém peaked —reacheda/the peak —_—_reached the highest point . to have reached the lowest amount or level xuéng mic thap nhat bottomed out reached the bottom reached the nadir to get better /to improve tang, tién trién picked up The common adverbs which may be used with this verb are: suddenly, rapidly, steadily, gradually, slowly, slightly. to make progress/to develop; to stop development cé xu thé phat trién; mat xu thé phat trién gained momentum —_lost momentum to move or happen faster ting nhanh speeded speeded up ‘The common adverbs which may be used with these verbs are: suddenly, rapidly, dramatically, sharply. to slow down/to slightly decrease cham lai, gidm nhe slowed down The common adverbs which may be used with this verb are: steadily, gradually, slightly. 10. to be the opposite of what it was (xu thé) dao nguoc (the trend) reversed The common adverbs which may be used with this verb are: suddenly, dramatically. 11. to change frequently dao dong fluctuated The common adverbs which may be used with this verb are: suddenly, dramatically, significantly, steadily, gradually, slowly, slightly, so much. 12. to stay the same khong déi, vin giv nguyén maintained www.nhantrivietcomThe LTS Academic Task I Writing The monthly production increased slowly. The sales dropped suddenly and then picked up steadily. The profit remained constant. The increase slowed down The profit reached a peak, and then fell slightly. ‘The prices fluctuated so much that it’s hard to plan a budget. ‘The road accidents in this city kept increasing but the trend soon reversed dramatically. The price kept rising but the sales maintained. The rise lasted for five months and then began to level off until the end of the year. 2. Nouns or noun phrases describing changes of data (Note: All the nouns/noun phrases below are derived from their verbs.) Nouns or noun phrases that mean: Linereasing sy tang lén, su tang truing rise increase ‘The common adjectives which may modify these nouns are: sudden, rapid, dramatic, significant, sharp, steep, steady, gradual, slow, slight. jump Alll of the adjectives listed above may be used with this noun except steady, gradual, slow, slight. 2. falling /decreasing su giam xudng, su sut giam drop —fall_~— decrease ‘The adjectives modifying rise and increase may go with these nouns. 3, changing frequently sy dao dong fluctuation The common adjectives which may modify these nouns are: sudden, dramatic, significant, steady, gradual, slow, slight There was a dramatic rise in the profit We could see a slight increase in the monthly production of PC. The fall of sales was sharp. ‘Though there was a sudden jump in road accidents, the death rate maintained. ‘The increase was slow but steady. Though the price remained stable, we could still see a slight fluctuation. www.nhantriviet.com, 73Basic IELTS Writing 3, Time expressions and contexts used in describing charts /graphs//tables Expressions of time and contexts are always used in describing charts/graphs/tables. 1. Time expressions in March for three years from 1970 to 2000 between 1970 and 2000 The sales dropped suddenly in August but picked up steadily in September. The profit remained constant for six months. The road accidents kept increasing from January to April but the trend soon reversed dramatically in May The price kept rising between October and December but the sales maintained. There was a dramatic rise in the profit in the first few months. The gradual increase of production lasted for about five months from March to August, The increase between March and June was slow but steady. Though the price remained stable from 1998 to 2008, we could still see a slight fluctuation. 2. Contexts: Preposition of or possessive case (’s) is often used. Examples: The sales of Inkopan computer dropped suddenly in August but picked up steadily in September. The Abob Company's profit remained constant for six months. The road accidents of New York kept increasing from January to April but the trend soon reversed dramatically in May. The prices of pork and chicken kept rising between October and December but the sales maintained. There was a dramatic rise in the profit of Ford Sport Cars in the first few months. The gradual increase of production of Hopkins Iron & Steel Co. lasted for about five months from March to August. The increase of our sales between March and June was slow but steady. Though the price of gold remained stable from 1998 to 2008, we could still see a slight fluctuation, 4. Expressions of comparisons 4 1. Besides describing the changes of data (like increasing, falling, levelling off, etc.), most exam titles require candidates to make comparisons between sets of data. For example: There are 20 male students in Class A and 10 in Class B. www.nhantriviet.com: The '§ Academi ‘The number of male students can be compared using various structures as follows: ‘There are twice as many male students in Class A as in Class B. ‘The number of male students in Class A is twice as big as that in Class B. Class A has twice as many male students as Class B. Class B has half as many male students as Class A\ There are half as many male students in Class B as in Class A. ‘The number of male students in Class B is half as big as that in Class A. Class A has 10 more male students than Class B. c There are 10 more male students in Class A than in Class B. B has 10 less male students than Class A. There are 10 less male students in Class B than in Class A. Class A has more male students than Class B by 10. Class B has less male students than Class A by 10. If the number of male students in these classes is the same, the following structures may be used: Class A has as many male students as Class B. Class A has the same number of male students as Class B. ‘There are as many male students in Class A as in Class B. Some exam titles may ask candidates to make comparisons using percentage. Verb phrases used in this case are make up and account for. Male students make up 60% of the total student population in University A. Female students account for 40% of the total student population in University A. Male students make up more than 60% of the student population in University A. Female students account for less than 40% of the student population in University A. There are 20 male students in Class A, making up half of the student population of the class. There are 10 male students in Class B, accounting for one fourth of the student population of the class. . Some exam titles may ask candidates to make comparisons pointing out the percentage of an increase or a fall of data. The following nouns phrases and verb phrases may be applied: 1. In 2006 the number of male students is 100. In 2007 the number of male students is 105. Compared to 2006, the number of male students increased by 5% in 2007. The number of male students reached 105 in 2007, indicating an increase/a rise of 5%, compared to 2006. www.nhantriviet.com 75Basie Writing There is an increase by 5% in the number of male students, 2. In 2006 the number of female students is 100. In 2007 the number of female students is 95. Compared to 2006, the number of female students decreased by 5% in 2007. The number of female students decreased to 95 in 2007, indicating a fall of 5%, compared to 2006. There is a decrease by 5% in the number of female students. 3. In 2007, the proportion of male students occupied 30% of the total student population. In 2008, the proportion of male students occupied 35% of the total student population There is an increase of 5 percent in the proportion of male students of the total student population, There is a decrease of 5 percent in the proportion of female students of the total student population. Exercise 7 1. Translate the following sentences into English. 1. So vdi nam 2007, Ioi nhuan cia nam 2008 da gidm 5%. 2. $6 du hoc sinh nam 2007 da gidm xuéng cdn 1.500 ngudi, cho thay mic gidm 5% so véi nam 2006. Déi A ghi nhiéu hon d6i B 5 ban, . Sé van dong vién c6 chiéu cao hon 2m trong dgi A it hon d6i B hai ngudi. . Trén thyc té, ham hugng dudng cé trong qué téo va qua lé nhiéu nhu nhau. . Mat xu hudng r6 rét 1a sé ngudi di xe dap dang tang déu. S6 ngudi di lai bang xe buyt gia tng ti nam 2000 dén nam 2008. . Trong s6 ngudi lao dong chan tay, nam gidi chiém ti lé 70%. Pe Naw Aw . Nam 1997 tai nguyén thién nhién cung ting hon 17% téng san phéim quéc ndi (GDP), nhumg dén nm 2007 lai giam xu6ng dudi 10%. 10. Trong cing m6t théi kj, s6 long citu tang nhanh tit 230.000 con lén 310.000 con, nhung s6 lyong bé lai giam manh tir 180.000 con xuéng ft hon 130.000 con. 2. Translate this short passage into English. Trong 5 thang du nam ngodi, Igi nhuan hang théng ciia céng ty tang lén dén 10,000 déla My (USD) va gi én inh, nhung loi nhudn cia thang 6 la 9.000 USD, gidm 10%. Ti théng 7 dén thang 9, loi nhuan hang thang ctia céng ty dao déng trong khong 9,000 USD va 7.000 USD. Thé nhug Ioi nhudn cia 3 thang sau cling lai tang déu, Joi nhudn cia thang 12 dat 11.000 USD, dat miéc cao nhét trong nam 6 wwwnhantrivietcom“The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing 3. There are a few mistakes in the following passage. Find them out and correct them, POs a Ene veo Tea ec a PSL Cog COCR a ae ecoece nm aray PUPA Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the table po SO NCR eed ce (Table 3) The output value of two factories in their toy production 2003-2007 Factory A (million USD) _ Factory B (million USD) 2003 0.84 1.80 2004 1.04 1.70 2005 1.24 1.60 2006 1.40 1.66 2007 1.60 0.90 ‘The table indicates the output of Factory A and Factory B in their toy production from 2003 to 2007. ‘The production of Factory A was obviously much better than Factory B. Take the five years from 2003 to 2007 for example. Factory A’s output value increased from 0.84 mil- lion USD to 1.60 million USD, with a rise of 0.2 million USD each year. The value in 2007 was almost twice as much as that in 2003. Yet in the same period Factory B's slid all the way from 1.80 million USD to 0.9 million USD, with a fall of 0.1 million USD each year. Although the value picked up in 2006, it has dropped sharply in 2007 to the amount of half of that in 2003. We sce clearly that Factory A’s output value kept growing while Factory B’s output value dropped all the time. From the table we can also see that in 2003 Factory A’s output value was 0.84 million USD and that of Factory B was 1.80 million USD ‘The cause of the decrease of Factory B’s output value must have been the poor manage- ment. (188 words) www.nhantriviet.com 7Basic IELTS Writing 4, Write a short passage on the following title. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the types of work occupied by people from Province A COC Recaire SEU Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the charts Dota You should write at least cm (Figure 11) Types of work occupied by people from Province A and Province B in England 2 Business ‘EY Architecture «J Domestic Service ZZ) Others 10% 3% Province A Province B Use the cues below in your passage: account for on the contrary making up ... % of the total much less than those from ... 78 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academie Task | Writing 5. Answer these questions on the sample passage below. 1, What questions has the sample passage answered? 2. Which data along the horizontal axis and the vertical axis has the passage described and compared? POS Geno en cate RE Te Ta ‘The chart below indicates the number of vehicles sold each month of the second Poe Eun ken Ug Mee ne aa Ena ee cea nm Coe eae onto Bod RO NC Rac eGR (Figure 12) Number of vehicles sold each month in Lotus Company, 2008 cro Truck ZB | a 00 200} WZ ro 230] vo] |175 bo) 0 Tal Aug Sept Ost Nov Dee The column chart shows the number of the two types of vehicles sold in each month | from July to December in Lotus Company in 2008. | The most successful and worst sales of cars happened in September (230) and October (55) respectively, while those of trucks fell in November (110) and July (80) respectively. September was the only month in which over 300 vehicles were sold, 230 cars and 100 trucks. This month was, in descending order of sales, followed by November, December, July, August and October. October was the worst month of sales in the second half of the year with only 145 vehicles sold, 185 less than September. It is the only month in which the number of sold vehicles was under 150. In August the sales of the two types of vehicles were very close to each other with 90 cars and 98 trucks, Although the sales of both kinds of vehicles fluctuated, we don’t seem to find any cor- relation between the sales of cars and trucks. (169 words) www.nhantriviet.com 79Basic IELTS Writing 6. There are a few mistakes in the following passage. Find them out and correct them. 7 2 1 Sn etek ‘The graph below indicates the percentage of women smokers in Asia and SO een ROMA ts Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown in the | Eo You should write at leas (Figure 13) Percentage of women smokers in Asia and Europe 5 Asan Wor == -Faopea Woe tase i 0 980 99 2008 The graph compares the percentage of women smokers in Asia and Europe in the latter half of the 20th century. It can clearly seen that from 1950 to 2000 the percentage of women smokers in Asia kept increasing while in Europe first rose and then fell. In the 50’s the percentages of women smokers in Asia and Europe were about the same, with Europe higher of 2%. From then on, women smokers of both continents began to rise, but the rate of increase in Europe was much bigger than Asia. In the ten years from 1960 to 1970 in Europe, women smokers doubled, from 10% to 20%, while in Asia, there was only a rise by 3%. However, since the 70s, things have changed dramatically. In the following thirty years, the percentage of women smokers in Asia never stopped to grow while that in Europe dropped sharply. In 2000, Asian women smokers surpassed European women smokers by 1%. It is the first time for the former to have caught up with the latter in the past 50 years. (178 words) 80 www.nhantrivietcomThe IELTS Academic Task | Writing 7. Write a short passage on the following title. BOT ONCE ene Cee ees SOO CC Rol ec ae RS eg Rone Write a report describing the figures of various types of publications borrowed, Peta ‘You should write at least 150 words. (Table 4) Figures of different books borrowed in a community library for January 2008 COT eC om COM TT ag | Males serr aaa an | Science 430 125 53. 608. | Humanities 259 36 ; 295 | Magazines 99 135 310 544 « Total 4 788, 296 363 1447 Use the cues below in your passage: The figures of community members are divided into two groups, males and females. borrow/lend/loan more than/more ... than fewer than/fewer ... than .. accounted for the greatest number of the publications borrowed. www.nhantriviet.com 81Basic IELTS Writing 8. Write a short passage on the following title. POMC ee CE nee TCR eRe BOR onc ae Ren Re ECO UNRT TT e cscs Cy COR ae een ee Ree eR oes Besos aren DeRose Reece Sd Reeder eat Ren ee RRC ec geen nena on Re Pn ee Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information in the chart EOC ‘You should write at least 150 wor (Figure 14) Percentage of boys vs. girls attending the Five-ring Cup English Speech Contest in the four years from 2003 to 2006 and the total number of attendance in each year %) 90 Total number of attendance 80 at the contest 70 eae Ad 0 Girls Z i 2003-2004 Use the cues below in your passage: With the increase of people attending the contest, the percentage of the attendance of both boys and girls varied in the four years. while that of percentage as many as vary hit rise attendance drop 82 www .nhantrivieticom‘The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing Chapter2 Describing a Process or a Procedure You have looked at the various types of visual formats that you might be asked to de- scribe, but you also might have to describe a diagram representing a process. Describing a process or a procedure means writing about how something is made or how something happens. Some examples are: how a telephone works, how coffee is grown, how glass is made, how to get a driving licence, how to start a business, etc. What to include in describing: 1. a process 1. What the object is and what it is for 2. What it is like 3. How it works 4. Brief information on it (optional) 2. a procedure 1. What it is and what it is for 2. What to prepare for it 3, What should be done first, next, and last 4. What can eventually be achieved 5. Brief information on it (optional) Whichever task you are asked to write on: either describing what it is like to do some- thing or telling other people how to do something, make sure that the information is in a logical order; the different stages are clearly marked with adequate linking expressions; the language used is accurate and appropriate, and the whole passage makes sense and is easy to follow. www.nhantrivietcom 83Basic IELTS Writing Sample Passage Analysis BOONE Eee een eet a DUE C EC mC Rito ECR Ccns ay telephone. Describe EEOC Cues nee a is oe SRR oa et eer cates ecm ee Tee Sot eae se kre Your description should be: pee aCra a Or (Diagram 1) A Telephone Receiver Push-button Keyboard Buttons Woe SS A telephone is something we cannot do without in our . It is a very convenient de- vice for us to have contact with the outside. The one in the picture is a standard push-button telephone. On top of the phone is the receiver, the two ends of which are the earpiece and the mouthpiece. On the push-button keyboard there are the buttons. Each of them bears a number. When you want to make a telephone call, you should follow these instructions. F st, pick up the receiver from the cradle and there is from the earpiece the buzzing sound in- dicating that the telephone is in good order. Then push the buttons for the number you need. When finishing pushing the buttons and the line is through, you will hear the beep. ing sound, two beeps followed by a pause. Now you just wait for the other end to answer you. If the line is busy, however, you will hear a steady beeping sound. At this moment, put back the receiver and repeat the steps till you get through. (176 words) 84 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing Analysing this sample passage © Content 1. First, the passage tells what the object is (a telephone), and what it is for (a very con- venient device for us to have contact with the outside). 2. What it is like (paragraph 2) 3. How it works (paragraph 3) 4. A brief summary (none) 5. . Connectors like first, then, now are appropriately used to make the procedure clear and easy to follow. © Language analysis 1. Double negative: cannot do without sb/sth means cannot manage without sb/sth A telephone is something we cannot do without in our life. May dién thoai la thit ching ta khéng thé khéng cd/phai cé trong cude séng. A double negative phrase like this should sometimes be used to enhance your expres- sive writing, Other examples: We cannot sit by and do nothing. He is not unaware of the facts. 2, one (pronoun) The one in the picture is a standard push-button telephone. Dé vat trong hinh nay la mét chiéc dién thoai kiéu bam nut thong dung. ‘The one is used to replace the telephone with the aim of avoiding writing the same noun several times, which results in a better piece of writing. 3. on top of +N on the +N On top of the phone is the receiver, the two ends of which are the earpiece and the mouth- piece. On the push-button keyboard there are the buttons. Phfa trén cila méy dién thoai la dng nghe véi hai dau cia né Ia tai nghe va Sng noi. Trén mat ban phim 18 céc nuit. These two prepositional phrases are placed at the beginning of the sentences to put more emphasis on the location. 4. from the earpiece First, pick up the receiver from the cradle and there is from the earpiece the buzzing sound indicating that the telephone is in good order. www.nhantriviet.com 8586 Writing ‘Truéc tién, nhac dng nghe tir gid 46 lén va tit tai nghe c6 tiéng u w phat ra cho biét la may cb thé sit dung duge ngay. This prepositional phrase is put before the noun phrase the buzzing sound to avoid confusion (the buzzing sound from the earpiece indicating that the telephone is in good order), It cannot be put after in good order. . Reduced participial phrase When finishing pushing the buttons and the line is through, you will hear the beeping, sound, two beeps followed by a pause. Khi bam nuit xong va néu dudng day théng thi ban sé nghe cé tiéng reo, cé khoang ding ngdn sau mdi hai tiéng reo. finishing pushing the buttons and followed by a pause are reduced participial phrases. They may be rewritten as follows: When you finish pushing the buttons and the line is through, you will hear the beeping sound, two beeps which are followed by a pause. . Conditional sentence Type 1 STeVrmAC Un roe UCL S + will/can/may + bare simple) If the line is busy, you will hear a steady beeping sound. Néu dung day ban, ban sé nghe tiéng bip bip 4éu dan. Conditional sentence Type 1 is used to talk about situations that may be true or occur in the present or future. Adjective clause A telephone is something we cannot do without in our life. May dign thoai la thi (ma) chiing ta khéng thé Khéng c6/phai e6 trong cude sng. we cannot do without in our life in this sentence is an adjective clause in which the relative pronoun that/which is omitted, . of which On top of the phone is the receiver, the two ends of which are the earpiece and the mouth- piece. Phia trén cia may dién thoai la éng nghe véi hai dau cilia né 1a tai nghe va dng néi. which replaces the noun phrase the receiver to vary the style of writing, and also to avoid repetition which makes your writing dull www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing 9. Noun clause First, pick up the receiver from the cradle and there is from the earpiece the buzzing sound indicating that the telephone is in good order. Truéc tién, nhac 6ng nghe tit gid dé lén va tii tai nghe cé tigng u u phat ra cho biét la may 6 thé str dung duge ng: that the telephone is in good order is a noun clause being the object of the verb indicate. le 2 (a procedure) RONG C ce ncaa ‘Asa class assignment, you have been asked to describe the process of repairing Pea ag sca choad eg a enon ad Sear yore eee Ee cy You should write at least 150 words. Your description should be SOC RS CECT Sets Pare (Diagram 2) Cross section of a water tap HANDLE PACKING NUT PACKING OR O-RING SPINDLE VALVE ‘SEAT www.nhantriviet.com 87Basic IELTS Writing REN CR eet ‘Awwater tap is a device for turning on and off flow of water and the washer is one of the most important parts of it. When the washer is broken or worn out, it should be replaced at once in order not to waste water, To replace the washer, we should first shut off the water supply and turn on the faucet, until the water stops running. Then loosen the packing nut with a wrench and remove the faucet stem or spindle. When the faucet stem is removed, pull out the unit. What we should do next is to remove the screw that holds the washer at the bottom of the valve unit. Put in a new washer and replace the screw. Finally put the valve unit back in the faucet and turn the handle to the proper position. Now you can use the water tap without any worry. Of course, do not forget to turn on the water at the shut-off valve. (165 words) Analysing this sample passage @ Content This is a passage describing a procedure illustrated with a diagram. 1. First, the passage states what the object is and what it is for (paragraph 1). 2. Then, it mentions what to prepare (the first sentence of paragraph 2) 3. Next, it shows what should be done first, next and last (from sentence 2 to the end of paragraph 2). 4, Last, it points out what can eventually be achieved. 5. A brief summary (none) @ Language analysis 1. turn on/turn off A water tap is a device for turning on and off a flow of water and the washer is one of the most important parts of it. Voi nude [2 dung cu dé mé va khoa ngudn nude va vong dém 1a mot trong nhing bd phan quan trong nhat cia né tum on and tum off are used when mentioning the water tap. You cannot use open or shut/ close with it. 2. Phrase of purpose: in order (not) to + bare infinitive When the washer is broken or worn out, it should be replaced at once in order not to waste water, Khi vong dém bi vo hay bi mon, né phai dugc thay ngay lap tic nhiim trénh lang ph mude. 88 www.nhantriviet.com$ Academic Task 1 Writing 3. replace and change to replace sth means to remove sth and put another thing in their place. To replace the washer, we should first shut off the water supply. Dé thay vong ném, truéc tién chuing ta nén khéa nguén nutdc... to replace sth also means to put something back in the place where it was before. Put in a new washer and replace the screw. Hay dat vao mét cdi vong dém mdi va gan dinh éc lai. to change means to exchange one thing for another thing, especially of a similar type. Other examples: 1 replaced the cup carefully in the saucer. He changes a five-dollar bill for five singles. Now I'm affraid that I have to ask you to change it again, 4, Infinitive phrase To replace the washer, we should first shut off the water supply and turn on the faucet until the water stops running. é thay vong dém, truéc tien ching ta phai khéa nguén nuide va md van dén khi nude ngimg chay. To replace the washer is an infinitive phrase expressing a purpose. It is equivalent to In order to replace the washer. 5. Noun clause and adjective clause ‘What we should do next is to remove the screw that holds the washer at the bottom of the valve unit. Vige ching ta phi lam ké tip Ia thao dinh 6c gitt ving dém 6 cudi bé phan van ra ‘What we should do next is a noun clause which functions as the subject of the main verb is, that holds the washer at the bottom of the valve unit is an adjective clause modifying the noun the screw. Commonly-used expressions in describing a process or a procedure aon The following diagram shows the structure of ... The picture illustrates ... It mainly consists of ... It works as follows. It normally involves the following steps. The whole procedure can be divided into ... stages. www.nhantriviet.com 89Basic IELTS Writing nnectors Firstly Secondly Finally The first step is to The next step is to The last step is to The first stage involves In the next stage In the following stage In the last stage First of all To begin with Next Then Later At the same time Subsequently Before this During After this In the course of in order to in order not to in order that so as to so as not to Exercise 8 1. Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Bude dau tién [a tra chia vao céng tdc dénh hia. . Sau dé kiém tra phanh tay c6 hoat dong khong. . Bude 3 1a tra sé vé vi tri sé 0. Buéc tiép theo la tha phanh tay ra. . Sau dé bat dén tin higu va kiém tra tinh trang dudng. 2 3 4, Sau d6 van chia dé khoi dong may va sang s6 1 5. 6. 1. . Bay gi thi cé thé lai di 2. Translate this short passage into English. Déng hé deo tay dién tit la dung cu (device) tét dé bao gid, khdi mat cong lén day cot (to wind) méi ngay va trong lugng cua déng hé lai nhe hon. Déng hé dién tit chi yéu gdm cé cdc bd phan sau day: 161 my (the core), man hinh hién sé (the digital readout), day deo, nguén dién hoac 6 pin va cac nuit bam ditng dé chinh gid. Khi hét pin, cdn phai thay pin mdi. Mudn thay pin, trudc tién phai mua loai pin ciing ¢8 va cing kiéu nhu pin cd. KE dén mé ndp 6 pin, thay pin ci ra. Luu y dat diing cuc 4m dugng cla pin. Sau dé day np 6 pin lai. Cudi cting ban c6 thé dang mit chinh gid, phut, gidy va ngay théng dé chinh duing ngay va gid. 90 www.nhantriviet.comiechamee) The IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 WritingBasic IELTS Writing The IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing Task 2 in both the Academic Module and the General Training Module is the same. Can- didates are asked to write a short essay of a minimum of 250 words in about 40 minutes. The essay is usually a discussion of a subject of general interest. Candidates have to present and justify their opinion about something, offer a solution to a problem, express an opinion, or speculate about a future trend. Even if the question is related to a specific area of knowledge (e.g. science), candidates do not need specialist scientific knowledge to write about it Task 2 is more important than Task 1 in that there is more ‘weighting’ towards Task 2 If your performance in Task 1 is not as good as it is in Task 2, you can still receive a good writing score. 1, Marking criteria of Task 2 The second writing task assesses whether a candidate meets the more formal require- ments of a higher education establishment. The IELTS Writing test measures your ability to write in clear and formal English, as is generally demanded in an academic context. You are assessed according to the following criteria: 1, Task Response ~ how accurately the task is addressed. 2. Coherence and Cohesion ~ how organised your writing is. 3, Lexical Resouree ~ how much the range of your vocabulary is. 4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy — how varied and accurate your grammar is. ‘Task response task achievement Task response means doing exactly what is required by the task or question. To get a good rating for this criterion, it is extremely important that you understand the task fully and do everything you are asked. Remember to consider the person you are writing to because this will affect the tone of your writing. As often seen in the Academic Module, you are asked to write an essay for a university lecturer. Therefore, your tone should be very formal since that is the way reports are written at university. Coherence and cohesion Coherence and cohesion means the way the whole text is organised, and for this criterion, the examiners look at the way your text is structured, such as whether it is easy to follow, whether the arguments are clear, whether the order of information is logical, or whether you use appropriate connectors, etc. 92 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELI Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing Lexical resource Examiners check the range of vocabulary, and whether you use it appropriately to write your essay. Grammatical range and accuracy The last criterion refers to all aspects of grammar and how well they are applied in your writing. You should use a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy. The basic rule for accuracy is that you need to be more accurate with simple grammar than com- plex grammar. 2, Steps to take when doing Task 2 In this task, you need to write an academic-style essay on the single title given. You have no choices here ~ you must write only about the one title - so prepare yourself with strat- egies to write a well-organised essay on a variety of subject areas. It is advisable that you take the following steps: 1. Reading the essay title carefully 2, Planning your essay 3. Writing your well-organised essay with three parts: i, Introduction: ii, Body iii, Conclusion 4, Checking and editing 1. Reading the essay title The first step in writing any essay is to read and interpret the essay title correctly. It is essential that you have a complete understanding of the title. In the Academic Task 2 Writ- ing, candidates may be required to present an argument for or against a proposition, justify an opinion, or evaluate evidence. Examine the essay titles below: SPR SOTA Rr Rey en) oe Om aCe RET Te a Ser ean eras el CeCe iCR Canc Which one do you agree with? Give reasons for your answer. SC mae CR Ee Ae Sess mC Lee} Reem ets tntd Ss ee Cn CO es eon h Others believe that children should decide for themselves how to spend their free time. What is your opinion on this matter? www.nhantriviet.com 93Basic IELTS Writing Some essay titles may require candidates to present their viewpoints or suggestions like the titles below: 1. Write a short report with suggestions for the solution of drug abuse. Include sugges- POE Loner RUC RL Conc Ge eRe yee Lie Soe CeCe eo ee a Ra CGC a ty Pea cutarce cig SC oc Reco Ce Ce ce oS) Fee eC Ce ce cr Ce ce cay Pes CRO tne Cee o eu Re: Coals When reading the task instruction, you should be able to identify the words or phrases which are particularly important in both giving the direction of the essay and helping you to know how to organise it. For example: Family should be responsible for juvenile delinquency School should be responsible for juvenile delinquency. Which one do you agree with? Give reasons for your answer. The general subject of this essay is juvenile delinquency, and your essay must focus on presenting your viewpoint on who (family or school) should be responsible for this problem, and then supporting it with logical reasons. Examine the title below: SUG en ese eC Ceo ane Oe REC RRt moa Cd Pee eeoae ene ee Analysing this essay title, you can point out the following key words: steps, take, prepar- ing, IELTS, benefits. You must, therefore, concentrate on presenting the steps a candidate should take in preparing for the IELTS test, not the TOEFL test or any other tests. You must also include the benefits of such steps in your answer. 2. Planning your essay After having analysed the title, you must plan your essay. Planning means you begin with a detailed outline which helps you to organise your thoughts, ideas or opinions before writ- ing to make sure that everything stays on track. 94 www.nhantriviet.comAcademic and General Training Task 2 Writing The following points should be brought into your consideration when outlining your essay: i, Make sure your essay has an introduction, a body with supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion to sum up the main points, ii, Write a thesis statement that identifies the main idea of the essay. iii, Make sure that all your paragraphs follow the proper paragraph format. iv, Utilise your lexical resource that is most expected by the examiner. v. Use a wide range of sentence structures, not only simple sentences. Accurate com- pound and complex sentences can reveal your academic writing skill. There are no absolute rules regarding what an outline should be. It does not need to be lengthy — it is simply an organised list of ideas for your essay. Example 1 rr While studying abroad, some people purchase a house and others rent. Ifyou are a student in the UK, which do you think might be better for you? Possible outline Introduction: Renting is better. Body: 1. I don’t worry about maintenance (leakage, etc.) 2. It is cheap 3. 1am not tied down to it. (may transfer to another school, will return to own country after school) Conelusion: Renting is better. Example 2 TT Bee eC WeaOeerano ceeEatcre ie = Po Introduction: Agree eR a — Body: 1. More efficient and economical 2. Less land for parking 3. Fewer accidents Conclusion: A better choice www.nhantriviet.com 95Basic IELTS Writing Example 3 Bt) Reo scent or RS eck ee Ce ne PSS RAL! Introduction: Staying single is better. Body: 1. Financial freedom (one can spend one’s money in the way one prefers) | | 2. Freedom of mental burden (raising children, relations with wife/husband/children) 3. Freedom of activities (go where one wants to go, do what one wants to do) Conclusion: If one wants to enjoy life, stay single. Example 4 on POR cone a OO erm CT PPO Ua te tee ECE BD Coes SCL RL oe a PSS CRT Ati Introduction: Drug abuse is a serious problem (figures). Body: 1. Education from primary school and never stops 2. Stricter law against drug smuggling, trafficking and taking 3. Crack down drug production organisations with the help of all governments Conclusion: With the application of the actions, drug abuse can be reduced, if not extinguished. Exercise 9 Write an outline for each of the essay titles below. 1. Some people suggest that we should all retire at the age of 50. State your reasons for your agreement or disagreement with the suggestion. 2. Traffic jams are a common phenomenon in big cities in Vietnam. Write a report to the municipal government providing suggestions as to how to solve the problem. Your report should include the government and the citizens. 3. Nowadays universities and colleges are recruiting more and more students. What do you think of this idea? 96 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS Academic and General ‘raining Task 2 Writing 3. Writing your essay 3.1 Writing the introduction An introduction is the most important part of an essay as it sets the standard and attracts the reader's attention, and gives him/her an idea of the essay focus. These are the main parts of a good introduction: ~ Getting the reader’s attention ~ Providing background information ~ Stating the central idea with a thesis statement (The thesis statement should be written in one (or at most two) sentence(s) what your overall point or argument is, and what your main body paragraphs will be about.) Below are some possible introductions: Example 1 yi While studying abroad, some people purchase a house and others rent, Ifyou are a student PROM OR Rena ccs Rcd Peseta Oca sN 1. More and more people are pursuing their education abroad. 2. Housing is always a hot topic for them while living abroad. Without a nice house to live in, one would find it difficult to study well. 3. Many find it advantageous to purchase a home, but I would think. it is better to rent a house for the following reasons. Example 2 Bent = POR oer ecg om PSNR LER CHSCs 1. The problem of traffic jams in big cities in Vietnam has always been a headache. As to how to solve this problem, people maintain different opinions. 2. Some suggest that we give priority to the development of private cats, others argue that mass transit systems | should be put in the first place. 3. I am for the latter solution, | www.nhantrivie.com 7Basic IELTS Writing Example 3 ry DoS aE E EON aerate sai PS ce ulnar raat) 1. The world is entering an “aged society”. According to the UN statistics, in 2050, the percentage of the aged will reach 23 percent. 2. Obviously, whether the old people can | live a decent life or not concerns not only humanism, but also social stability and family | happiness. 3. Therefore, the society as a whole, not this section or that section, should be responsible for their life. Example 4 vai . Family should be responsible for juvenile detinquency. School should be responsible for juvenile delinquency. SRO OR Oe een ee Coes seed PES ORL a usCsy 1, With more and more juvenile delinquency, people have paid more and more atten- tion to who should be responsible for it: the family or the school? 2. It seems to me that the family exerts more influence on teenagers, and therefore, it is the family that should be responsible. Example 5 wt A OUCE NC Le CeO Ral ken egies bic kage Baad BC eaca nay 1. In the atticle on the use of the “oil weapon” in the 1970s, the writer suggests that the main reason for the rapid increase in oil price was the cost of the Arab-Israel war. 2, But was that really the main reason behind the enormous price increase at that time? 3. There were, in my opinion, other far more important reasons behind the price increase. | 98 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELTS Academic and General ‘Training Task 2 Writing Example 6 Das The fight against Y2K bug is necessary, PCR Lexa CAC) 1. Right after the New Year’s Eve of 2000, even before dawn, the Y2K critics were sharpening their knives, 2, To them, the lack of havoc was proof that the Y2K bug was just an illusion. Some even say the “bug” has been “magnified to an elephant”. Therefore, they contend that the money spent on it was unnecessary. 3. But their argument does not hold up for cxamination. Exercise 10 Write an introduction for each of the following essay titles. 1. Itis said that superstitions are but nonsense. Do you agree? 2. Meat provides us with protein, fat and other necessary nutrition we need, and there- fore meat-eating is a symbol of human development. What do you think of this matter? 3. Nowadays universities and colleges are enrolling more and more students. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this action? How to prevent the disadvantages? 4. From time to time, the issue of whether pure science is more important than practical science is discussed. Present your opinion on this issue. 3.2 Writing the body The basic aim of the body paragraphs is to explain the thesis statement of the essay and therefore to reveal its subject. This is the part where all the arguments are presented very clearly to the reader, and are proved by substantial evidence. ‘The body paragraphs are the core of each essay, and therefore demand special attention and profound knowledge on the matter from the side of the writer. Every body paragraph must be written according to one general structure: * A topic sentence: Each body paragraph starts with a topic sentence. The main idea/argu- ment must accurately be written to appeal to the reader. © Supporting sentences: Different established facts or points support the main idea of the essay. The supporting points should not be positioned one after another, but a general discussion of the point should be included in between. * Aconcluding sentence: Each body paragraph should have a concluding sentence in order to make connection to the next paragraph. This link is a must-have element as this is what makes the essay logically structured. www.nhantriviet.com, 99Basic IELTS Writing @ The topic sentence and supporting sentences A well-organised paragraph supports or develops a single controlling idea, which is ex- pressed in a sentence called the topic sentence. A good topic sentence has the following features: * It controls or guides the whole paragraph. When you read the topic sentence, you know what to expect in the paragraph. * A good topic sentence is specific. * A good topic sentence has controlling ideas — words or phrases that help guide the flow of ideas in the coming paragraphs. Although topic sentences may appear anywhere in paragraphs, in academic essays they often appear at the beginning. Topic-sentence Analysis (The sentences in bold are the topic sentences.) Example 1 People who own their cars have many expenses to pay in order to keep their cars. One of the expenses that car owners have is insurance. People who own cars also have to be content with rising gasoline prices. In addition, every time a car breaks down, there are bills for new parts and services. This is a good topic sentence because it puts forward an argument: People owning a car have many expenses to pay. Then, what follows this topic sentence are a number of supporting sentences that develop the main idea with specific details, such as insurance, rising gasoline prices, and bills for new parts and services. Example 2 ‘The age at which a person may drink liquor legally varies from state to state. In New York, a person may drink liquor legally when he is eighteen. In New Jersey, the age at which one can drink liquot legally is seventeen. In Montana, ... The topic sentence in this paragraph is supported with some examples of specific ages of people allowed to drink liquor in different states. Example 3 Man is the most intelligent of the animals, Only man can talk. Only man has developed the power to destroy himself. Although in many ways man is not superior to animals, he has the wit to make other animals work for him. 100 www.nhantriviet.comThe IELI $ Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing The topic sentence in this paragraph is supported with some specific ideas: 1. Only man can talk, 2. Only man has developed the power to destroy himself. 3. Although in many ways man is not superior to animals, he has the wit to make other animals work for him. Example 4 Charles is very interested in cars. He knows all the details about every new model. He spends a lot of time working on his old Ford, and he visits all the car shows. The topic sentence in this paragraph is supported with some specific details: Charles knows all the details about every new model, spends a lot of time working on his old Ford, and visits all the car shows. From the examples given above, you can see that a topic sentence is the one which re- veals the main idea of a paragraph, and supporting sentences are the ones that provide the topic sentence with details. ® Coherence Coherence is an important element of the essay writing process. Coherence refers to a certain characteristic or aspect of writing. Literally, the word means “sticking together”. Coherence in writing means that all the ideas in a paragraph flow smoothly from one sentence to the next sentence. With coherence, the reader has an easy time understanding the ideas that the writer wishes to express. You can, thus, employ cohe- sive devices, which are also known as connectors, transition words, or connecting words to preserve the logical flow between the various parts of an essay as well as between sentences and paragraphs. For paragraphs, a transition signal, i.e. a connector, can be found at the beginning of each paragraph. Example Title Fe ee ONE er Reno ERO Ure Sek gaat bres sa Introduction: The world is entering an “aged society”. According to the UN statistics, in 2050, the percent- age of the aged will reach 23 percent. Obviously, whether the old people can live a decent life or not concerns not only humanism, but also social stability and family happiness. Therefore, the society as a whole, not this section or that section, should be responsible for their life. www.nhantriviet.com 101Basic IELTS Writing Following this introduction, the body may consist of four paragraphs with the transition signals in bold: Paragraph |: To begin with, the government should work out a series of policy to protect the old, Paragraph 2: Furthermore, all the work units should provide their members with a special fund in their salary as pension after retirement, Paragraph 3: In addition, nobody is supposed to depend on the government and the work unit entirely. Paragraph 4: Finally, we should not forget the responsibility of the family. Each of the body paragraphs with such a topic sentence clearly states what the paragraph will be about: Paragraph 1; What the government should do Paragraph 2: What the work units should do Paragraph 3: What the person himself should do Paragraph 4: What the family should do Supporting sentences must be added to each body paragraph by using facts, evidence or examples, as follows: Paragraph 1: ‘To begin with, the government should work out a series of policy to protect the old. The policy should include life insurance, health insurance, basic poverty line, and so forth so that the aged can enjoy a comparatively decent life which is assured and protected by law. Paragraph 2: Furthermore, all the work units should provide their members with a special fund in their salary as pension after retirement. The fund should be put into the bank and not to be used for any other purposes. This sum of money is to follow the person when he changes | his work unit. Paragraph 3: In addition, nobody is supposed to depend on the government and the work unit en- tirely. He should be responsible for himself, too. Buying insurance for life of retirement is his unshirkable responsibility. In doing so, he can reduce the financial burden of both the society and his family. Paragraph 4: Finally, we should not forget the responsibility of the family. The Vietnamese people | have a glorious tradition; that is to say, to respect the old. The family members should sup- | port their old financially. They should also know that life of the aged is not only money. [_ They need love fom thle ki, w h is, after all, the core of their happiness. 102 www.nhantrivietcomThe IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing. The body of the above-mentioned essay is made up of these four paragraphs. To begin with, the government should work out a series of policy to protect the old. ‘The policy should include life insurance, health insurance, basic poverty line, and so forth so that the aged can enjoy a comparatively decent life which is assured and protected by law. Furthermore, all the work units should provide their members with a special fund in their salary as pension after retirement. The fund should be put into the bank and not to be used for any other purposes. This sum of money is to follow the person when he changes his work unit In addition, nobody is supposed to depend on the government and the work unit en- ig insurance for life of retirement is his unshirkable responsibility. In doing so, he can reduce the financial burden of both the society and his family. tirely. He should be responsible for himself, too. Buyi Finally, we should not forget the responsibility of the family. The Vietnamese people havea glorious traditions that is to say, to respect the old. The family members should sup- port their old financially. They should also know that life of the aged is not only money. | They need love from their kin, which is, after all, the core of their happiness Exercise 11 1. Write a body paragraph for each of the following topic sentences. 1. Charles is very interested in cars. 2. Well-established mass transit systems are far more efficient and economical than pri- vate cars. 3. We cannot do without animals now. 4, Of course, we have to admit that travelling alone has its merits. 5, There are many energy sources besides petrol. 2. Complete the following paragraph with appropriate connectors. It is now widely accepted that excessive consumption of refined sugar is not good for our health. i , refined sugar lacks nutrients andis, 2. snot really a food. 3. , Tefined sugar tends to be retained by the body in the form of fat. 4, , although sugar initially gives us more energy, it can also contribute to the condition known as hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, leading to loss, of energy. 5 , of course, refined sugar is a major contributor to tooth décay. 6. , refined sugar is not good for our health. wwwnhantriviet.com 103Basic IELTS Writing @ Body-paragraph analysis Example 1 Title To solve traffic jams, mass transit systems are a better choice. PE Eee ons) Firstly, well-established mass transit systems are far more efficient and economical than private cars. Take bus for example. One car holds at most five people but one bus can hold 40 to 50, eight to ten times as many as a car. To move the same number of people from one place to another, we need a lot more vehicles if we use private cars. Secondly, parking occupies roads. Parking places for private cars occupy much more land than buses do. In order to provide enough parking lots for private cars, municipal governments have to cut the budget for roads. It is obvious that with fewer private cars, we can certainly have more money and land to build better and wider roads to reduce traffic jams, Finally, many traffic jams are caused by traffic accidents. With more vehicles in big cities, the probability for accidents to happen is higher, and hence more traffic jams. Mass transit systems reduce private cars, and hence there are fewer vehicles. The result is obvious: fewer vehicles, fewer traffic accidents, fewer traffic jams Analysing 1. This is a three-paragraph body based on the outline planned before. 2, Each paragraph elaborates on or develops a point: + Paragraph 1 states that: Well-established mass transit systems are far more efficient and economical than private cars. This topic sentence is supported with a specific example: Take bus for example. One car holds at most five people but one bus can hold 40 to 50, ight to ten times as many as a car. To move the same number of people from one place to another, we need a lot more vehicles if we use private cars. * Paragraph 2 mentions that: Parking occupies roads. This topic sentence is supported with evidence: Parking places for private cars occupy much more land than buses do. In order to provide enough parking lots for private cars, municipal governments have to cut the budget for roads. It is obvious that with fewer private cars, we can certainly have more money and land to build better and wider roads to reduce traffic jams. 104 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academie and General Training ‘fask 2 Writing * Paragraph 3 points out that: Many traffic jams are caused by traffic accidents, This topic sentence is supported with some logical arguments: With more vehicles in big cities, the probability for accidents to happen is higher,and hence more traffic jams. Mass transit systems reduce private cars, and hence there are fewer vehicles. The result is obvious: fewer vehicles, fewer traffic accidents, fewer traffic jams. 3. These body paragraphs are linked together by connectors showing order/sequence: Firstly, Secondly, Finally. 4. Each of these paragraphs is of equal length. They are neither too long nor too short. 5. Each of these paragraphs has a topic sentence which is simple, clear and understandable. * The topic sentence of the first paragraph is: ‘Well-established mass transit systems are far more efficient and economical than private cars. * The topic sentence of the second paragraph is: Parking occupies roads. * The topic sentence of the third paragraph is: Many traffic jams are caused by traffic accidents. 6. The three body paragraphs here have unity; namely, the topic, supporting, and con- cluding sentences are all telling the reader about one main subject. Example 2 via (S The fight against Y2K bug is necessary. Pes To begin with, Y2K has always been a question mark. The possibility that it would cause disasters to the world was remote, but even a slim chance for failure required contin- gency plans, Nobody would consider the risk that missiles shoot off their silos as fireworks in the sky. So, every penny spent on it is worthwhile Furthermore, even now, only a few Y2K managers are willing at this early date to pro- nounce the ¥2K operation a success. It is too soon to signal an all-clear result. Since the bug did cause in Europe some auto-banks to stop working, we can say every effort of ours on it s necessary. We can never be too cautious on the issue. In addition, we avoided chaos because programmers and managers around the world did their best to solve this potential problem before it became a reality. Of course, some projec- But Y2K bug is an issue man has never encountered before. We were actually on something brand new to us tions were inaccurate, falling on both the low and high sides of realit www.nhantriviet.com 105Basic IELTS Writing. Analysing 1. Each paragraph elaborates on or develops a point: + Paragraph 1 states that: Y2K has always been a question mark. This topic sentence is supported with justification of common sense: The possibility that it would cause disasters to the world was remote, but even a slim chance for failure required contingency plans. Nobody would consider the risk that missiles shoot off their silos as fireworks in the sky. So, every penny spent on it is worthwhile * Paragraph 2 mentions that: Even now, only a few Y2K managers are willing at this early date to pronounce the Y2K operation a success. This topic sentence is supported with facts It is too soon to signal an all-clear result. Since the bug did cause in Europe some auto-banks to stop working, we can say every effort of ours on it is necessary. We can never be too cautious on the issue. * Paragraph 3 points out that: We avoided chaos because programmers and managers around the world did their best to solve this potential problem before it became a reality, This topic sentence is supported with some logical arguments: Of course, some projections were inaccurate, falling on both the low and high sides of reality. But Y2K bug is an issue man has never encountered before. We were actually on something brand new to us. 2. These body paragraphs are linked together by connectors showing addition: To begin with, Furthermore, In addition. 3. Each of these paragraphs is of equal length. They are neither too long nor too short. 4. Each of these paragraphs has a topic sentence. * The topic sentence of the first paragraph is: Y2K has always been a question mark. * The topic sentence of the second paragraph is: Even now, only a few Y2K managers are willing at this early date to pronounce the Y2K operation a suecess. * The topic sentence of the third paragraph is: We avoided chaos because programmers and managers around the world did their best to solve this potential problem before it became a reality. 5. All of these three body paragraphs have unity. In other words, the topic, supporting, and concluding sentences are all telling the reader about one main subject. 106 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic and Ge ! Training Task 2 Writing 3.3 Writing the conclusion The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay. The conclusion serves to signal the end of the essay by summarising the main points, or restating the thesis, or leaving the reader with the writer's thought on the subject; however, it should not bring up a new one. Below are some common connectors starting a conclusion paragraph: In conclusion, .. Altogether, ... Insum, .. Inall, .. To sum up, On the whole, ... All this suggests that It can be concluded from the text that ... In conclusion, it can be said that ... Example 1 a While studying abroad, some people purchase a house and others rent, Ifyou are a student naa a Pree na cs coat Introduction: More and more people are pursuing their education abroad. Housing is always a hot topic for them while living abroad. Without a nice house to live in, one would find it difficult to study well. Many find it advantageous to purchase a home, but I would think itis better to rent a house for the following reasons. The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: ‘Therefore, we can see that for a student studying in the UK, renting a house is better than buying one. | Example 2 3 - To solve traffic jams, mass transit systems are a better choice. Introduction: The problem of traffic jams in big cities in Vietnam has always been a headache. As to how to solve this problem, people maintain different opinions. Some suggest that we give priority to the development of private cars, others argue that mass transit systems should be put in the first place. | am for the latter solution. www.nhantriviet.com 107Basie IELTS Writing The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: ‘All this suggests that to solve the problem of traffic jams in big cities in Vietnam, mass transit systems are a better choice. Example 3 pein 7 a ~ Re CEE RO ace oC cng Introduction: The world is entering an “aged society”. According to the UN sta ics, in 2050, the per- centage of the aged will reach 23 percent, Obviously, whether the old people can live a decent life or not concerns not only humanism, but also social stability and family happiness. There- fore, the society as a whole, not this section or that section, should be responsible for their life. The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: Ina word, to solve the problem, we need the efforts from all the sections of the society. Example 4 veil NS ten co Soa Rona School should be responsible for juvenile delinquency. SRO ORR eRe SUSE Introduction: With more and more juvenile delinquency, people have paid mote and more attention to who should be responsible for it: the family or the school? It seems to me that the family exerts more influence on teenagers, and therefore, it is the family that should be responsible. The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: In conclusion, while both the school and the family have influence on teenagers, that of the family is obviously much stronger than that of the school Example 5 yy) MCCS CCU a Re oka Rens kok yee 108 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic and General Tia ‘Task 2 Writing Introduction; In the article on the use of the “oil weapon” in the 1970s, the writer suggests that the main reason for the rapid inctease in oil price was the cost of the Arab-Israel war. But was that really the main reason behind the enormous price increase at that time? There were, in my opinion, other far more important reasons behind the price increase. The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: In conclusion, it can be said thatthe Arab-Israel war did have effect on the rise of world. | oil price, but, as we have discussed above, there were some other more important causes that |_ must not be neglected. Example 6 rr = BU Sira te OL Get en eee Introduction: Right after the New Year's Eve of 2000, even before dawn, the Y2K critics were sharpen- ing their knives. To them, the lack of havoc was proof that the Y2K bug was just an illusion. Some even say the “bug” has been “magnified to an elephant”. Therefore, they contend that the money spent on it was unnecessary. But their argument does not hold up for examination, The conclusion which corresponds to this introduction may be written as follows: To sum up, in order to ensure a peaceful and secure world, the fight against the Y2K bug is absolutely necessary. Exercise 12 Write a conclusion for each of the following essays whose introduction and body paragraphs are provided. 1. CMT Aviation Bureau has decided to ban smoking totally on the airpl: EEC LE cee eee The decision of the Civil Aviation Bureau about a total ban on smoking on board of a plane is absolutely right. All passengers, I think, welcome this decision. The following points may explain my opinion. www.nhantriviet.com 109Basic IELTS Writing First, not all passengers on the airplane enjoy smoking. In the past, we did set up smok- ing areas. Nevertheless, even when certain arcas were reserved for nonsmokers, the smell of. smoke could not be restricted to the smoking arcas because of air-conditioning. Medical research has proved that passive smoking is even worse than direct smoking. Second, smoking causes higher price of plane tickets. Ifthe airlines did not have to pay for personnel to clean ash and cigarette butts from ashtrays, floors and seats, and if they did not have to replace floor coverings and seat covers because of cigarette burns, perhaps air travel would be a little less expensive. Third, smoking destroys the nice atmosphere. Without smoking, without those cigarette ash and butts and things, the environment on the airplane would be better. The result would be that more people would like to travel by airplane. Last, there is always danger of fire aboard an airplane, especially in the event of a crash. Smoking increases that danger because any leakage of aviation gasoline would be like a napalm. According to the government report, last year in the world, one fifth of the fires in air crashes were caused by smoking, (236 words) Title: To own acaris a dream of most of us, but we must not neglect the disadvantages Orr List at least three disadvantages of owning a car and provide examples to illus- Rarer ent I cannot agree more that to own a car has many advantages. But today, | am to say something about the disadvantages of owning a car so that before you buy a car, you can see both sides of the coin. Firstly, people who own their cars have many expenses to pay in order to keep their cars. One of the expenses that car owners have is insurance. People who own cars also have to be content with rising gasoline prices, and it seems that the price is always going up. In addition, every time a car breaks down, there are bills for new parts and services, Secondly, to drive a car on a road fice of traffic congestion is certainly a pleasant thing. But when you are jammed half way to where you are heading, it will not be that pleasant any more. If you are going fishing, it will be unimportant because the cost of the jam is only one ot two fish. But if you are going to have a business talk, things will be different. Thirdly, your car is always the prey of car thieves. How many cars are stolen every year in the world? Millions. Even if you have some money to buy another one after losing it, the chance for it to be stolen again remains the same. What is more, losing a car is not the end of the matter, but the beginning. Troubles never come singly. How much does your time and energy cost? (252 words) 110 www.nhantriviet.com‘The IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing 4, Checking and editing While planning your essay, remember to spare some minutes for checking and editing your answer. Before handing in your work, read it through to check for errors; otherwise, you are throwing marks away. Corrections at this stage mostly focus on lexical and grammatical accuracy. * Vocabulary editing includes word choice errors, spelling errors, and capitalisation. * As far as grammar is concerned, make sure that your essay is correctly punctuated, and each sentence has a subject and a main verb. Also, check the subject-verb agreement and the verb tenses. Commonly-used connectors in an opinion essay PE eee at present generally speaking now currently in the beginning presently first in the first place recently firstly it goes without saying to begin with first of all lately eee Cra also in addition moreover besides in addition to... what is more furthermore in the same way at the same time nevertheless | likewise but/yet on the contrary similarly conversely on the other hand however otherwise meanwhile whereas/ while Be em CLS g above all finally on the whole accordingly hence therefore as a consequence in a word thus asa result in brief to speak frankly at last in conclusion to summarise by and large in short to sum up consequently in sum eventually in summary www.nhantriviet.com llBasie IELTS Writing Exercise 13 Practise writing opinion essays on the following titles. 1. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Or er rR ene Cec od ce Orta CLR Rc Aaa A ECR nt TE ete ‘You should write at least 250 words. SCm ne eee Un Rea As part of a class assignment, you have to write about the following topic: Ug RC CR aa cC AE Can ee eae Rec Rey Dredd soneatint SORE guCoteesuts ie SCM NCR ra ek Ca oe should spend about 40 minutes on this task. ee eer mT eRe aegis Travelling is one of the most popular recreational activities we have. Some people like to travel alone while others like to travel with a group of people. What would you prefer, travelling alone or travelling with some people? SOE NOR Cem oes Rs Ce Cee nn Seca Se ee ORCC aco a People have different tastes in listening to music (including songs). Some like classical SOR SOUS CeCe Which kind of music do you prefer? Please give specific reasons for your answer. Bron CRT ea mess 12 www.nhantrivietcometa) Grammatical Range and AccuracyBasic IELTS Writing Grammatical Range and Accuracy Grammatical range and accuracy is, in fact, one of the four marking criteria of the IELTS Writing test. They assess how accurate your grammar is, including spelling and punctuation, coupled with how well a wide range of structures is applied in your writing. It is important not to use only one type of structure, but try to employ a wide range of structures in your writing. Remember that this grammar is not just about tenses, but also about how you organise your sentences. Below are suggestions for more complex grammar: 1. Compound sentences are used to add detail and richness to your writing, or to make a simple sentence more persuasive. 2. Ifclauses are very useful for explaining and giving examples. 3. Relative clauses (who/that/which /when, etc.) will also impress the examiners and are a good example of more complex grammar. Let us now have a look at what grammatical range is by reviewing English compound and complex sentences. 1. Grammatical range @ Compound sentences A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses linked together by a co-ordinating conjunction, The independent clause can function as a complete sentence. ‘Two independent clauses may be joined by a comma and a conjunction, or by a semicolon. Below are some common co-ordinating conjunctions: * joining two contrasting ideas: but, yet + showing that the second idea is the result of the first: for, so The computer has become smaller and cheaper, so it is more available to a greater number of people, * joining two ideas: and, or, nor He has written two novels, and she has, too. @ Complex sentences A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses linked together by a subordinating conjunction. The dependent clause also contains a subject and a verb, but it cannot function as an independent sentence. A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjunction, such as because, although, if, etc,, or with a relative pronoun like that, who, which, depending on whether it is an adjective clause, an adverb clause, or a noun clause. 114 www.nhantriviet.com:Grammatical Range and Accuracy Note: Independent clauses are also called main clauses. Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses. 2.1 Adverb clauses Below are some common subordinating conjunctions used in adverb clauses: + showing a time relationship: when, while, as, after, before, since, until/till, as soon as, once Once a child is burnt, he would be afraid of fire for the whole life. + showing a cause-effect relationship between ideas: because, as, since, now that, seeing that Now that you have passed the exam, you may have a good rest. Seeing that/Since the students were not interested in the topic, she immediately called for a break. * presenting possible conditions: if, even if, unless, in case, provided / providing (that), suppose/supposing (that), as long as, on condition (that) I'll surely come provided/ providing (that) you inform in good time. ‘Suppose/ Supposing (that) something should go wrong, what would you do then? * showing the concessive manner in which something happens: although/though, as if He decided to go although I begged him not to + making a comparison between two or more things: ...-et/ more... than, less ... than, as... a, not so... as It’s not as good as it used to be. * showing a result: so... that, such ... that They have to charge in such a way that they don’t make a loss. * expressing a purpose: so that, in order that, lest, for fear that P'll get a map so that we can plan where we're going. 2.2 Adjective clauses An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. ‘The subordinators in adjective clauses are called relative pronouns. + who replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It can be the subject of a verb. + whom replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It can be the object of a verb or preposition. whose replaces possessive forms of nouns and pronouns. It can refer to people, animals or things. It can be part of a subject, an object of a verb or preposition, but it cannot bea complete subject or object. whose cannot be omitted. Do you know that man whose wife has deserted him? Those whose parents have been laid off can join the tour free of charge. «which replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or things, not people. It can be the subject of a verb, and the object of a verb or preposition. * that replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people, animals or things. It can be the subject of a verb, and the object of a verb or preposition (but that cannot follow a preposition; whom, which are the only relative pronouns that can follow a preposition). www.nhantriviet.com 1sBasic IBLTS Writing 2.3 Noun clauses Noun clauses perform the same functions that nouns do in sentences. A noun clause can be: * the subject of a verb What I need is time. (The thing which | need is time.) * the object of a verb We should not pretend to know what we don’t know. * the subject complement This is exactly what we wanted to say. * the object of a preposition Mary is not responsible for what Billy did. 2.4. Indefinite relative pronouns The expanded form of the relative pronouns ~ whoever, whomever, whatever - are known as indefinite relative pronouns, used to put emphasis. We can think about the Wh-ever words semantically as the ‘Wh-’ word + the quantifier any: * Whatever — Any thing « Whenever ~ Any time + Wherever ~ Any where © Whoever — Anyone © Whichever — Any which These indefinite relative pronouns can be: * the subject of a verb Whatever you say will be recorded. Whoever violates the regulations will be fined. Whatever batteries are thrown to the ground will pollute the environment. * the object of a verb Ask whomever you find in the classroom to come immediately. You can take whichever book you like from my shelves. Please do whatever possible to save the child. © Cleft sentences and Inversion 3.1 Cleft sentences We can use the structure It is/was ... that/who ... to emphasise a particular idea. Look at this statement in its ordinary word order: My secretary sent the bill to Mr. Harding yesterday. 116 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy Emphasis can be placed on any parts of this sentence, see below: * emphasis on the subject Ttwas my secretary who/that sent the bill to Mr. Harding yesterday. (not somebody else) + emphasis on the object It was the bill that my secretary sent to Mr. Harding yesterday. (not something else) Tt was Mr-Harding that my secretary sent the bill to yesterday. (not to somebody else) + emphasis on the adverb of time Itwas yesterday that my secretary sent the bill to Mr. Harding. (not another day) 3.2 Inversion Generally, inversion is used to stress the uniqueness of an event. In English, there is a variety of inverted sentences. In this section, we just review inverted sentences with nega- tive adverbs. Some common negative adverbs are: ‘never, rarely, seldom (These time expressions are used with a perfect form, or with modals, and often include comparatives.) Examples: Never have I been more insulted! Seldom has he seen anything stranger. * hardly, barely, no sooner, or scarcely (These time expressions are used when there is a succession of events in the past.) Examples: Scarcely had I got out of bed when the doorbell rang. No sooner had he finished dinner than she walked in the door. + After only in expressions such as only after, only when, only then, etc. only is used with a time expression. Examples: Only then did I understand the problem. Only after understanding the situation does the teacher make a comment. * After little (used in a negative sense) Examples: Little did he understand the situation, Little have I read concerning nanotechnology. @ Action verbs and Active voice In an academic essay, a few changes in wording can lead to more visual information. It is advisable that you use more action verbs instead of a lot of state verbs (such as am, is, are, was, and were). These state verbs eliminate action from the sentence, which can lull the reader into drowsiness. www.nhantriviet.com M7Basic IELTS Writing In addition, active voice (e.g. defends) should be used more often than passive voice (is defended by) (except Academic Task 1 Writing, which requires a variety of descriptions). In short, replace as many state verbs with action verbs as you can, and change all passive structures to active ones. 4.1 Action verbs 4.1.1 Some action verbs showing the richness of information * Action verb: Tom felt sorry for the poor dog. State verb: Tom was sorry for the poor dog. * Action verb: We discussed this problem. State verb: We had a discussion on this problem. * Action verb: The milk turned sour. State verb: The milk is sour. 4.1.2 Verbs of vivid and colourful details In academic writing, try your best to abundantly employ dynamic verbs that actually show something happening to promote your achievements. Some action verbs help convey a strong impression. These sentences convey the same message, but one communicates much more effectively than the other. * Vivid action verb: I cooked for my sick mother. Poor action verb: I did the cooking for my sick mother. * Vivid action verb: She flies to London once a month. Poor action verb: She goes to London by plane once a month, * Vivid action verb: The death of her mother saddened her. Poor action verb: The death of her mother made her sad. * Vivid action verb: “Stop thief!”, she shouted. Poor action verb: “Stop thief”, she said loudly. * Vivid action verb: He returned home after 30 years’ aimless wanderings. Poor action verb: He came back home after 30 years’ aimless wanderings. * Vivid action verb: His army has grown in power. Poor action verb: His army has become powerful. 4.2 Active voice In English, all transitive verbs must have an object, and they can be used in the passive structure. Verbs are active when the subject of the sentence performs the action. In contrast, verbs are passive when the subject is acted upon or receives the action. A problem many students have is using a lot of passive sentences in their writing. It is 118 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy important to think about what is being stated, and how more action can be added to show what is happening instead of telling it. Do use active sentences to promote clarity and impression in your writing. Examples: * Strong impression: We all enjoyed the music. Vague impression: The music was enjoyed by us. * Strong impression: The army used a new kind of jet fighter. Vague impression: A new kind of jet fighter was used by the army. * Strong impression: A boy of 15 wrote all these poems. Vague impression: All these poems were written by a boy of 15. * Strong impression: The police shot the murderer on the spot. Vague impression: The murderer was shot by the police on the spot. 2, Grammatical accuracy Academic writing employs the standard written form of the language. You must, therefore, be able to use your English precisely and accurately. Let us now review some major types of sentences in English. @ Sentence classification by purpose Based on the purpose of the sentence, sentences may be classified into four types. 1. A declarative sentence is used to make a statement. Most of the sentences spoken or written are declarative sentences. Examples: He works very hard. We should not waste water. 2. An interrogative sentence is used to pose a question. Examples: Are you going to study in the UK? Who will go with you? 3. An exclamatory sentence is used to express astonishment or extreme emotion. Exclamatory sentences are rarely used in academic writing. Examples: How terrible it looks! That's great! 4, An imperative sentence is used to give a command or to implore or entreat. Examples: Mind your fingers. Please keep moving. waww.nhantrivietcom 119Basic IELTS Writing. © Sentence classification by structure A sentence is the basic unit of written English language communication. One way to cat- egorise sentences is by the clauses they contain. (A clause is part of a sentence containing a subject and a predicate.) Based on the structure of the sentence, sentences may be classified into four types: 1. Simple sentence The simple sentence is one of the four basic sentence structures. It requires a subject and a verb. We ordinarily include some additional words that explain the subject. A sentence or part of a sentence that contains a subject and a verb and constitutes a com- plete thought is called an independent clause. Examples: He came yesterday. All the tickets are sold out. 2. Compound sentence In the previous part (Grammatical range), you have had chance to go over compound sentences. Here are some more examples: Tt was last year; it was before I came to Amsterdam. She needs the book, and she needs it now. 3. Complex sentence In the previous part (Grammatical range), you have had chance to go over complex sentences. Here are some more examples: I think that we should apologise. (Main clause: I think; dependent clause: that we should apologise) When you called me, I was watching TV. (Main clause: I was watching TV; dependent clause: When you called me) The school has enrolled 40 children whom they hope will be future soccer stars, (Main clause: The school has enrolled 40 children; dependent clause: whom they hope will be future soccer stars) Note: A dependent clause standing alone without an independent clause is called a fragment. 4, Compound-complex sentence A compound-complex sentence contains three or more clauses (of which at least two are independent and one is dependent). Examples: We wanted the waitress to apologise, and we wanted to know why she did so. 120 www.nhantrivietcomGrammatical Range and Accuracy (We wanted the waitress to apologise is a simple sentence whereas and we wanted to know why she did so is a complex sentence in which we wanted to know is the main clause, and why she did so is the noun clause being the object of the verb know. These two sentences are joined by the conjunction and, it is thus a compound-complex sentence.) The father wanted to know who broke the window g] did not say anything. (The father wanted to know who broke the window glass is a complex sentence in which The father wanted to know is the main clause, and who broke the window glass is the noun clause being the object of the verb know; but his two sons who were scared did not but his two sons who were scared say anything is another complex sentence in which his two sons did not say anything is the main clause, and who were scared is an adjective clause modifying the noun sons. These two sentences are joined by the conjunction but to form a compound-complex sentence.) Note: Writing that contains mostly simple sentences can be uninteresting or even irritating to read. Conversely, writing that consists of mostly complex sentences is usually difficult to read. Good writers, therefore, use a wide range of structures. They also occasionally start complex (or compound-complex) sentences with the dependent clause and not the independent clause. www.nhantriviet.com 121Basic IELT'S Writing Accurate Expressions (Nhiing cach dién dat chinh xéc) From this section on, a number of errors that Vietnamese students learning English often make when communicating their ideas are presented. It may be a good idea for us to explain them in Vietnamese for you, first, to easily and fully understand them, and then, to be able to express yourself accurately. Cee Ey Céc tiv hoac thanh ngit duge ding dé dién dat ¥ co /khng cé trong tiéng Anh rat da dang. chang han cé thé ding dng tiv have /has, have/has not, possess, do/does not possess, own, v.v., hoac ding c4u tric There is/are (not); hoac dé dién dat yi co kink nghiém /khéng c6 kink nghigm lai la to be experienced / inexperienced, v-v. Hay xem cdch ding chinh xéc ciia cdc tit hoc thanh ngit nay trong phan tiép theo sau day. @ have/has; have/has not (do/does/did not have) Khi trong cau cé chi ngit xdc dinh r6 ngudi hoac vat thé s6 hitu ci gi dé thi phai ding | dong tix have phi hgp véi ngdi (person) va thi (tense) | Vidy: ‘Tom has two brothers, A dog has four legs Thave a slight Australian accent. The opening-up policy has every advantage and no drawback. I’m sure she has the ability to finish the job on time. He has nothing to do with the murder. Sorry, I don’t have his e-mail address. She does not have the courage to tell the truth. © There + be + noun (+ prepositional phrase). Cu triic There is/are duge ding khi dién dat y c6 ngu’i hogc vat thé dang hién hitu & mét noi nao dé. Théng thudng trong cau cé cum gidi ti chi noi chén, Vidu: There is nobody in the room, There are five books on the desk. Have there been any fresh developments? Céc 185i thutmg gap Nguti viét lugc bé dai tir quan hé trong ménh dé tinh ngit dan dén mét cau don c6 dén hai dong tir duge chia, 122 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy Sai: There are many problems cannot be solved with traditional methods, Bing: There are many problems that cannot be solved with traditional methods. / Many problems cannot be solved with traditional methods, Sci: ‘There are three students have not come today, Ding: Three students are absent today. / Three students have not come today. / There are three students who have not come today. Sai: There were four people ran after the thief. Ding. Four people ran after the thief. / There were four people running after the thief. There were four people who ran after the thief. Sai: Are there any people like the book? Ding: Are there any people who like the book? Sai: ‘There was a housemaid at home cooked for him. Bing: There was a housemaid at home cooking for him. / There was a housemaid at home who cooked for him. Sai: Is there anything else put on the agenda? Ding: Is there anything else to put on the agenda? | © Cach dién dat: e6 kha nang, e6 ich, ¢6 can dim Muén néu kha nang, tinh cht, dac trung, v.v. ca chit thé, phai ding tinh tix phd hop dé dién dat. Vi du: I’m sure she is able to finish the job on time. Itis beneficial to health. She is not courageous enough to tell the truth, Céc cach dién dat khde: 6 Ban can phai ndm thuc nghia dé ding diing dong tir trong tiéng Anh, néu chi dich nom na cd /khéng cd ma ding have/has hay There is/are ... thi cau sé sai. Vidu: Every family possesses a TV set. ‘Two students are late today. He is full of vigour and enthusiasm. Who can tell the date today? Much still remains to be done. Nobody knows how to get there. Does life exist on Mars? | Are you crazy? No! I’m not. The water is more than 10 metres deep. | Someone wants to see you Three students are playing ping-pong. Some say yes, some say no. www.nhantriviet.com 123Exercise 14 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Céai d nha khong? Khong c6 ai 6 nha. Co ba ngudi thiét mang trong tai nan 6 t6 do. Cé nhiéu cau héi khong c6 c4u tra | ‘Téi chéc chén [a anh dy c6 kha nang hoan thanh nhiém vy mét minh. C6 &y khéng c6 6 nha ba nam nay ri. . T6i cé hai con méo. Co ay rat c6 kinh nghiém phai khéng? PRIAwWEYWN . Mudi cé trong nhiéu thi. 10. Ban cé can phai dich than di khéng? 11. Co mét s6 nha may van dang x4 ra chit thai déc hai, 12, Cé hai vi khéch quan trong dén tham chiéu nay. 13, Cé dy 6 sdu ngudi ban ciing lép du dinh thi nghién ettu sinh, 2. Cach dién dat: ciing/eting khong Ti hoac cum tir thuéng duoc ding dé dién dat ¥ cing 1a too, also, as well, as well as. too va also chi dung thé khang dinh, cé nghia la eiing Tam a student. He is a student, too. (khang dinh hai chi ngtt cing 1a hoc sinh /sinh vin) J want to go. He also wants to go. (khang dinh hai chi ngtt ¢6 cing ¥ dinh mudi di) Luny: DE dién dat cau T6i da ndi ho biét chuyén v6i nudc bi hus ho ciing hita sé dén sita nhung tuyét nhién khéng dén thi khong thé néi I told them the water tap was broken, they too promised me to come to repair it, but they never came. Bai vi tit cing day trong tiéng Viét khong dién dat su vat cé cing tinh chat ma thé hién ¥ dit/mdc dii. Do dé, khi dich sang tiéng Anh 6 thé ding cau kép véi lign tir “and” hoac ding céu phic véi lién tir “although though”. I told them the water tap was broken, and they promised me to repair it, but they never came, — I told them the water tap was broken, Although they promised me to repair it, they never came. @as well va as well as cing ding 6 thé khang dinh, nhung as well ding nghia véi too con as well as nghia la cing nh Ithas been a great grief for him as well This is a political as well as an economic question. Luuy: as well as con c6 nghia la ngodi ... ra (in addition to, besides) 124 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy © bé dién dat y cing khong, ding not... either hodc neither + ddo ngit Cée 16i thuéng gap Sai: He did not go, I did not go, too. Ding: He did not go, I did not (go) either. /He did not go, neither did I (g0). Sti: He did not go, 1 also did not go. Ding: He did not go, I did not (go) either. /He did not go, neither did I (go). Sai: John cannot persuade Jane, Jack cannot persuade her as well Bing: John cannot persuade Jane, Jack cannot (persuade her) either./ John cannot persuade Jane, neither can Jack (persuade her). Sai: If law and order is not maintained, the prosperity as well as the stability will not be possible to maintain, Bing: If law and order is not maintained, neither the prosperity nor the stability will be possible. If law and order is not maintained, the prosperity will not be possible, neither will the stability be. Exercise 15 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Téi khéng mudn xem phim d6; ban gai cia t6i cing vay. 2. Ong Brown Id nghién ctfu sinh va éng Green ciing [8 nghién cu sinh 3. Anh ay muén lam ca si, va ciing muén lam dién vién. PAO eR CLEAR CORE RCC COS Dé dién dat ¥ khién (cho) ..., lim (cho) ... trong tiéng Anh, ban ding ddng tit make. Vi du: What makes you think so? They made her leave the room. Nhung trong rat nhiéu trudng hop, khéng thé ding make dé dién dat ¥ khién (cho) .. Vi du: Our educational guideline is to enable every student to develop morally, intellectually and physically. They have to revise the original plan so as to gear it to the need of the new situation. The cold weather turned the leaves red on the Fragrant Hill. Remember, never let yourself be carried away by your success. Elton John’s performance moved everyone present. Endless traffic jams would send anyone up the wall, www.nhantriviet.com 125Basic IELTS Writing ‘The powerful hurricane brought the whole town into chaos. Modesty helps one to go forward, conceit makes one lag behind, Peony casts the other flowers into the shade. Hay ghi nhé cdc mau cau voi make dién dat y khién (cho) ... « @ Sau make la dong tit nguyén mau khong to What made you laugh so heartily? Iwill try to make the machine work. @ Sau make 1a dng tit nguyén mau c6 to khi make 4 dang bj dong He was made to repeat it. We were made to work all night. © Sau make la mt tinh tit: make + O + adj He makes me ashamed of myself, Iv ll make me so happy if you'll accept it I must make it clear that my family is very poor. «Sau make la danh tit hoge cum danh tit; make + O + noun /noun phrase Let’s make it a rule. His scientific pursuits had made him a very observant man. | @ Sau make 1a mot phan tit qua khit: make + O + past participle Who made them informed? You should make your views known, Exercise 16 ‘Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Ban phai lam cho ngudi ta tén trong minh. ‘Nang lyc cia ban than da lam 6ng dy tré thanh hiéu trudng trudng dai hoc dé. Ngudi ban trai da lam c6 dy cdm thay an toan. Nén bude nhiing ngudi khéng muén lao déng phai lam. Cac ngon dén lam cho dudng phé sing nhu ban ngay, Su thé 16 cia anh ta khién téi khé long kiém ché. Anh dy da c6 ging lim mai lam ngudi khéc nghe dugc minh. Tinh hinh thay déi da khién ching téi roi vao thé khé xt. ex array y 126 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy 9. Hanh déng ciia éng dy khién chving t6i tin chéc 6ng dy 1a ngudi lyong thién. 10. Céng viée da khién chuyén di cia 6ng dy bi hodn lai. IL. Cai chét cia cha da khién ci lng c6 ta gan nhu tan nat. Ngubdi hoc thudng diing feel khi muén din dat hai nghta nay, nhung trong tiéng Anh cn 6 thé diing céc tiv khac ngoai feel. | Sai: He felt it concemed the policies of foreign affairs and did not give him an immedi- ate reply, Ding: He found that it concerned the policies of foreign affairs and did not give him an immediate reply. Sai: They did not dare to do so for they felt this would be a violation of the law. Ding: They did not dare to do so for they knew this would be a violation of the law. 1g Viet, ty vA nhumg hodc mac dit va nlumg cing xudt hign trong mot cu nhung trong tiéng Anh, khi da ding (al)though thi khong ding but ma chi chon mét trong hai lién tirnay. Tir nlumg trong van viét duge dign ta bing dau phay dat cudi ménh dé phy bat du v6i (although; hoac cé ddu phay gitta hai ménh dé déc lap néi nhau bang lién tir but. Although he was late again and again, the teacher did not say anything, He was late again and again, but the teacher did not say anything. Luu: c6 thé ding yet song song véi (al)though. He said he was our friend, yet he wouldn’t help us. Although he said he was our friend, yet he wouldn’t help us. Though the sore will be healed, yet a scar may remain, LerToMs itso) Usitt) Ti hoac cum tw ding dé dién dat hai ¥ nay 1a until/till va not until. @ until /till dign dat 7 cho dén khi.. Tom did his homework until/till his mother came home. Tom lam bai tap vé nha cho dén khi me no vé. We waited until /till 5 o’clock. Ching toi da doi dén tan S gia. www.nhantriviet.com 127Basic IELTS Writing © not ... until till dién dat y (mai) dén khi ... méi... Luu: Trong tiéng Anh, ¥ nay duge diing trong cau phit dink. Hay xem ky céc vi dy sau: V'll take no steps until/till you arrive. Déin khi anh dén t6i mdi tién hanh cdc bred. 1 did not begin work until till he had left Dén khi anh dy di khdi toi mai bat dau lam viée. C6 thé ding cu triic It + be + not until /till ... that ... dé nh manh; It was not until/till he had left that I began to work. Exercise 17 Translate the following sentences into English. 1, Téi mong anh ding lam bat cté viéc gi dén khi tat cd chting ta da xem xét ky vain dé. 2. Chiing ta hay doi dén khi mua tanh. 3. Anh ay da doi dén 7 gid téi phai khéng? 4. Mai dén 11 gid chting ti mdi vé nha. 5. Dén gid toi mdi biét ban bi bénh. Hee ERG meme mut mes Trong van viét, vic ding cau cé cu tric phitc tap, chang han nhur cau cé chtta ménh 8, khong chi gitip ngudi viet dign dat dugc cac § phuic tap ma cdn thé hién trinh 46 viet tigng Anh tuong déi cao ciia ban than. Tuy nhién, can phai viét chinh xéc, nhét la d6i voi cdc cau phiic, Dudi day la mét sé 15i thudng gap khi sty dung ménh dé, @ Lay menh dé thay cho cum ti The graph shows that the sales of computers between January and June, Ménh dé danh ngit bat dau bing that khong cé vi ngtt; do dé né khong phai la mét ménh dé phu. Dé sifa lai cho ding, c6 hai céch: mét 18 chi cn bé that thi cum danh tir sé trd thanh tan ngit cla déng ti shows; cach thif hai la thém vi ngir vao ménh dé danh ngit nay: ... that the sales of computers between January and June fluctuated a great deal. @ Lusc bé that cia ménh dé danh ngit ding sau mot s6 dong ti nhat dinh I insisted that should be our real goal. 128 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy C6 thé luoc bé that cia ménh dé danh ngit theo sau cdc dong tir nhu say, hear, think, see, nhung thdng thuéng khéng dugc luge bé that cia ménh dé danh ngtr ding sau mot so dong tu khdc, chang han nhu insist. Trong cau trén, khong thé luge bé that béi vi ménh 4é danh ngit dig sau thiéu chii nga. | © Dang sai dai tir quan he We will go to Mirror Lake that water is so clean that we can see the bottom of it, Ménh dé tinh ngir can cé dé bé nghia cho Mirror Lake trong cau nay phai bat dau bing whose water hodc the water of which dé dign dat ¥ cila ndfetia edi hd nay (chi sy s& hit). Cau ding li: We will go to Mirror Lake whose water is so clean that we can see the bottom of it. We will go to Mirror Lake, the water of which is so clean that we can see the bottom of it. © Ding pho tir quan hé thay vi dai tir quan hé In the city there are a few galleries where is specially designed for those artistic displays. Where la phé tix quan hé dién dat noi chén, khong thé lam déi tugng cia hanh vi. C6 hai céch chinh sita cau nay: mét la chuyén where thanh dai tir quan hé that hoac whieh; hai la gitt nguyén where va sita néi dung ménh dé ding sau nd. In the city there are a few galleries where one can enjoy art shows, ‘@ Thi tan ngit trong ménh dé tinh ng In the past the environment of London was very poor, which everyone could see the dirty things. Ménh dé tinh ngé khong gidi han (non-restrictive adjective clause) bat dau bang which gidi thfch cho ménh 48 chinh phia truéc (mdi mruing 6 Luin Dén kém). Trong cau nay, which 1 tan nga ctla dOng tir see. Thém the dirty things vao lam tn ngit cla see khién which tro nén du thita. Do d6 phai bé the dirty things. @ Luc bé that dan ra ménh dé danh ngi lam chit ngi ciia cau The government spent some money to make London more beautiful is worthwhile, Trong cau trén, The government spent some money to make London more beautiful la chi ngit ciia dong ti chinh is; do 46 phai thém dai tir quan hé that vao dau cau nay a8 né tr thanh ménh dé danh ngét lam chi ngit cho is. Ngoai ra, cé thé chinh stta bang cdch chuyén spent thanh spending: ‘The government spending some money to make London more beautiful is worthwhile. www.nhantriviet.com 129Basie IELY'S Writing @ Lay ménh dé khong gidi han lam ménh dé gidi han We must understand that more and more visitors come to London to travel which brings us more money. Cau nay phai thém dau phay (,) trudc dai tiv quan hé which: ‘We must understand that more and more visitors come to London to travel, which brings tus more money, Exercise 18 ‘Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Ho da lim néng trudng can nhiéu céng nhan, . Anh cé nghe ndi vé vu tai nan xAy ra 6 gin céng vién khéng? . 6 dé chuing t6i da thay cdc céng nhan d4u mé lam viéc suét Lé héi mia Xuan, 2 3 4. Hang mau duoc tang mién phi cho ngudi nao viet thu yéu cau, bat ké ho [a ai 5. Ong Clinton thay hai long vé bic thu nhan duge hém no. 6, Ban la ngudi duy nit ma anh dy cé thé Iéng nghe Idi khuyén cia ban. 7. Van dé la chting ta c6 thé tim ai thay thé anh ay. 8, Téi rat buén vi ban bj bénh. 9. Ba dy la vi 10. Ainghe cau chuyén nay cting déu bi séc. ido sur ma toi da ké ban nghe. 11. Chung ta phai hiéu ring voi viéc ngay cang nhiéu du khéch dén tham Luan Dén, ching ta sé cé tién nhiéu hon. La a mét trong cdc dong tir duge ding nhiéu nhdt trong ting Viet. Trong tiéng Anh, cé rét nhidu tir dé dién dat né. @ dong tix co bin nhat dién dat ¥ la 1a dong tir to be: am, is, are, was, were, have been, v.v. Lay mét vi du don gidn: Ti ld sinh vién thi cau tiéng Anh la [ama student, @ trong ting viet, mot dong tir khac c6 thé di lin ngay sau dng tit ld, Vi du: ¥ kien cia 16i la g0i dién cho anh dy ngay ldp tite, Hai dOng tit la va goi dién xudt hién lién tigp nhau J8 cu tric diing trong tigng Viet, nhung trong tiéng Anh khéng thé viét: My suggestion is give him a telephone call at once. NOi dung cau nay phai dude viét nhu sau: 130 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy My suggestion is to give him a telephone call at once. (dng ttt nguyén mau to give di lién sau to be) | Trong tiéng Anh, mdi don vi cdu chi cé mét déng tir duge chia theo thi (tense) lam vi | ngitcita cau, cdn cdc hinh dong lién quan dén vi ngtt thi dong tir phai chia theo thé (form), | chang han nhu thé dng tir nguyén mau cé to, hién tai phan ti, qué kh phan tir, danh | dong tix, hoac diing ménh dé phu. vi dy trén ding thé dong tir nguyén mau cé to clia give. Cau My suggestion is give him a telephone call at once. sai béi vi cé tdi hai déng tit duge chia: mét [2 is, va hai lA give. To be trong cu nay la d6ng tty chinh @éng vai tré vi ngt, ddng | thi hai give phai & dang thé. Xem cdc vi du dudi day: My suggestion is to give him a telephone call at once. (ding thé déng tir nguyén mau 6 to ciia give) | My suggestion is giving him a telephone call at once. (diing thé hién tai phan tiv cla give) | My suggestion is that we (should) give him a telephone call at once. (ding ménh &8 danh | ngu, give lam vj ngi trong ménh dé phy) Vi dy khée: Toi dong ¥ di bang tau héa. Trong cau nay, hai dong tir déng y va di xudt hién lin tiép nhau trong tigng Viet, nhung trong tiéng Anh khong thé viét: L agree go by train. Cau trén dude dién dat trong tiéng Anh nhu sau: Tagree on going by train. (ding danh dng tir going lam tan ngit cia gidi tir on) Tagree to go by train, (ding dong tir nguyén mau to go) Lagree that we go by train. (ding ménh dé danh ngt) © Ngudi méi bat Adu hoc tigng Anh thudng pham Ibi dich sat nghia ti tiéng Viet sang ma khong biét ring trong tiéng Anh phai stt dung diing cu tric cau cita ngudi ban ngdt. Vidu, cau Toi dén sau khi lam xong bai tdp vé nha thudng bj viét sai nhu sau: Tam come after finish my homework. Cau triic diing trong tiéng Anh la: I came after finishing my homework. I came after I finished my homework. Néu muén nh&n manh ¥ sau khi lam xong bai sép vé nha thi phai ding cu tric It is/was ... that ... (xem lai phan giai thich bing tigng Anh trong muc Cleft Sentences 6 truéc). It was after I finished my homework that I came here, www.nhantriviet.com 131Basic IELTS Writing, Vidu khac: Tei dén tie Ba Lan. Trong tiéng Anh, khéng thé viét: Tam come from Poland. Ma chi duge ding mét dong tir trong cau: Tam from Poland. Icome from Poland. Exercise 19 Translate the following sentenc into English. 1. Loi dé nghi ctta tdi 1a uu tién phat trién cong nghiép nhe. Anh ay da dén sdng nay. ._ Khong phi anh ta da néi la anh ta du dinh di Brighton sao? . Téi qua da noi la méi trudng quan trong hon sy phat trién. . Vang, toi dang dén. ‘Toi da dén tham cé ay. La ai di néi vdi ban? Chéc chén la éng ta khong biét PN AARYWH PXOORTT a Tinh tir worth cé nghia la dang thuting bi ding sai mac di day la mét tiv rat thong dung. worth chi duge ding véi hai cdu trite sau: @ Sau worth la mot danh tit, cum danb tit, dai tit hose mot sé tién The museum is well worth a visit. The book is not worth publication. She asked herself the question whether it was worth the effort. @ Sau worth la mot danh dong ty It's worth trying, isn’t it? He’s not worth helping. Her advice is worth considering. Lim ¥: Danh dong tir dig sau worth mang nghia bi dong, Téc nhan thyc hién hanh déng nay duge hiéu ngam. 132 www.nhantriviet.com,Grammatical Range and Accuracy Cac cau dudi day déu sai: I don’t think it worth do. — I don’t think it’s worth doing, This film is worth to see. + This film is worth seeing. I think this book worths to read. — I think this boo Does the book worth reading? — Is the book worth reading? This play is worth of watching. — This play is worth watching Do you think his advice is worth being taken? + Do you think his advice is worth taking? Itis worth discussing the question again. +> The question is worth discussing again. worth reading, Exercise 20 Translate the following sentences into English. . Loi dé nghi ctia dng ta dang the. 2. N6 dang gia it nhat 1a 200 dé la My. 3. N6 khdng dang bao nhiéu (tién). 4. Khong nén tha mdi bat bong. 5. 6. . Cé ding phién phtic vay khong? . Viée dang lam thi phai lam tét. . Cach ding may va maybe Hai tir nay déu c6 nghia 1a cé 1, cd thé nhung phai phan biét tir loai cla ching dé sir dung ating. may 1a dong tir khiém khuyét ditng truéc dong tir chinh; maybe Ia trang tir bé nghia cho cd cau hoac ménh dé phy, diing truée cau ho’c ménh dé phu do. He may be engaged. Maybe he will be engaged. (Kh6ng vit: He maybe will be engaged.) He may not be there. Maybe he is not there. (Khéng viét: He maybe is not there.) We may see you tomorrow. Maybe we will see you tomorrow. (Khéng viét: We maybe will see you tomorrow.) I think she may be bringing a few friends home with her. I think maybe she is bringing a few friends home with her. (Kh6ng viét: I think she maybe is bringing a few friends home with her.) www.nhantriviet.com 133ELTS Writing Exercise 21 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Coy cim thy kh6ng khde ldm, c6 lé la do trai lanh, 2. Téi nghi co 1é ho khéng can anh ta, anh ta hay céu gat. 3. C6 thé tdi sé vé vao mia thu. 4, Khong chiing/Co lé mia thu téi sé vé. TROON Rr kidd Dong tit prefer dude ding khi lua chon c4i /diéu ua thich. Hay luu y cdu tric ding ciia né ) hu sau: O prefer thich ... hon Which do you prefer? I prefer the blue hat/this. (dving truéc danh tir hoac chi dinh tit) She prefers to live among the working people. (dting truéc déng tiv nguyén mau cé to) Oh, I prefer being alone. (dving trudc danh déng ti) I should have preferred him to do it in a different way. (cau tric prefer + tan ngit + dong tiv nguyén mau cé to) Would you prefer that I come on Monday instead of Tuesday? (éving truéc ménh 48 phy) @ prefer ... to... thich ... hon .. I prefer tea to coffee. He prefers study to amusement of any kind. rather than ... thich... hdn ... I prefer to read rather than sit idle. I think I should prefer beef rather than mutton. © prefer Exercise 22 Translate the following sentences into English. 1, Toi thich thanh phé hon néng thén. 2. Téi thich di bé hon ngéi xe buyt. 3. Toi thich hoa cm chuéng hon (carnation). (ding trude danh ti) 4. Toi thich khong nghi vé tong lai. (ding truée dong ti nguyén mau ¢6 to) 5. Vay ban thich 6 nude ngoai hon sao? (ding true danh ding tit) 134 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy 6. Cé ay thich anh dy 6 bén ngoai suét ngay hon, (edu trie prefer + tan ngi + dong tif nguyén mau c6 to) 7. Dinhién éng éy mun nhting 16i binh phm nhu vay nén cham deft. (ding true ménh dB phy) AO Dhean sett yy rather ciing thudng dugc ding khi Iya chon céi/diéu wa thich. Cac cum ti ¢6 dinh c6 rather a: @ would rather thich ... hon (Néu would rather diing truéc ménh dé phu thi dong tir cia ménh dé phu phai chia 6 thé gia dinh.) Which would you rather have, tea or coffee? I would rather you told me the truth. I would rather not go out tonight, if you don’t mind. @ rather ... than... hin Ia... chi khong phai la wg nén .. chit khong nén His age would be rather over thirty than under it. This is rather for father to decide than for you. @ rather than... hon ..; thay vi... The colour seems green rather than blue. He ran rather than walked. would rather ... than... tha... edn hon... | would rather you know that now than afterwards. I would rather have trouble and hardship like that than be taken care of by others. Exercise 23 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. C6 ti mai téi di xem phim, nhung t6i thich di da ngoai v6i cdc ban ciing Ip hon Anh ta thich nghe ngudi khéc néi hon ty minh néi. 2. 3, La t6i chit Khong phai la anh y ding dugc thing tién 4. Toi mua né vi n6 thodi' mai chit khéng phai vi né dep 5. . Toi tha giao du véi dan éng cdn hon giao du véi dan ba. www.nhantriviet.com 135Basic IEITS Writing ER VCS UCN a UCT a EU Ce CBC Crm: Cilmi eit 0 een a eet tae Mét trong nhiing diém khac biét lén nhat gitta ngoai dong tit va ndi dgng tir 1a ngoai dong tircé thé bi dong, con ndi dong tix khong bao git duge diing & thé bi dong. Vi vay céc cau duéi day déu sai: The car accident was happened last week. (Ding: The car accident happened last week.) When w: (Bing: WI the earthquake occurred? mn did the earthquake occur?) The Giant Panda has been appeared twice. (Bing: The Giant Panda has appeared twice.) ‘When John Lennon was died, all the fans felt very sad. (Bing: When John Lennon died, all the fans felt very sad.) | The plane has been disappeared in the sky. (Bing: The plane has disappeared in the sky.) Exercise 24 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Mét chiéc xe hoi xudt hién trén ngon déi. (ding appear) 2. Bac si hoi da xay ra chuyén gi. (ding occur) 3. Ban dang 6 dau khi tai nan xe xay ra? (ding happen) 4. Cha cé ay qua doi di. (ding die) 5. Ba dy da mat mét nam ri. (ding dead) PURO TOOneeer mn aC Rc Cam c eee Diém quan trong nhat 1a khong duoc thém to vao déng tit ding sau had better. You had better get some sleep. We had better be off now. @ Ding trong cau khang dinh This book had better be returned before Saturday He had better take care of that cut on his hand. 136 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy © Ding trong cau phi dinh (tix not phai dat sau better) We had better not wait for her; she may be very late. He isa liar and you had better not keep company with him. © Ding trong cau nghi van What had we better do? Had you better not go with her, John? Exercise 25 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Tét hon la ban khong nén quay ray 2. Tét hon 1a ban nén dén duing gid, néu khong chuing t6i sé di ma khéng cé ban. 3, Khi ban vao tt hon la diing nén dnb the toi 4, Tét hon la chting ta nén tién hanh mot s6 bign phdp trudc khi anh Sy dén. Re kes very ludn ding trudc tinh tir va trang tit ma n6 bé nghia She used to be very thin. (bé nghia cho tinh tir thin) Seals swim very fast. (bd nghia cho trang ti fast) Do chiu anh hudng cia cdch ding trén nén khi very bé nghia cho déng ti, ngudi viét cing dat very trudc dong tir dan dén cdc cau sai dusi dé I very like to listen to classical music. They very enjoyed the movie. @ very khi bé nghia cho dong tit thudng di kém voi much tao thanh trang ngit bé nghia cho dong tir 46, Like to listen to classical music very much. They enjoyed the movie very much. The child loves his toys very much. Mary hates the mouse very much. www.nhantrivietcom 137Basic IELTS Writing kn ..—_$_$£$£._ ————__—__——— EU Mu cau so sénh ciia tinh tir va trang tty khéng phtic tap nhumg ngudi viét thudng mac céc 16i sau: ‘The temperature in the mountains is much more lower than the city. He sings more better than I do. Mary and Jane are twins, but Jane is the prettiest. Hai cau dau sai vi lower va better da 4 dang so sénh nén khéng dug thém more (néu muén b6 nghia cho tir so sénh nay thi phai ding much). Cau cudi sai vi day [a so sdnnh gitta hai ngudi (hod hai sy vat) nén khdng dugc diing cu tric so sinh cuc ep (so sdnh cue cp dp dung khi so sénh tir ba ngudi//vat tré len). Weg Ngudi viét thudng khong gap khé khan khi déi danh tir sé it sang sO nhiéu, nhung hay vi cdc cau sai nhur sau: TEAC EERE US What are the good news? (Bing: What is the good news?) A box of eggs are on the table. (Bing: A box of eggs is on the table.) Twenty years are not a long time in history. (Bing: Twenty years is not a long time in history.) Their personnel is very well trained. (Piing: Their personnel are very well trained.) Nguyén nhan dn dén cdc 18i trén la do ngudi viét khéng ndm ving qui téc sé it, sé nhiéu. ctia danh tw. Hay 6n lai céch ding ciia danh tir sé it va danh tir s6 nhiéu. @ Whimg danh tir c6 hinh thitc sé it nhung duge ding 4 dang so nhiéu 1. Danh tir tap hop nhw enemy, cattle, militia, police, personnel, v.v ‘The family are good friends of ours. ‘The enemy were driven out soon, The police have arrested two suspects. Our personnel are very highly trained. 2. Mét sO danh tir cé hinh thie s6 it va s6 nhiéu gidng nhau nhu Chinese, Japanese, sheep, means, aircraft, fish, vv. ‘Two sheep are missing. (S6 it: One sheep is missing.) 138 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy All possible means are to be tried. | (SO it: This means has been tried but it didn’t work.) There are a few fish in the pond. (S6 ft: One fish is dead.) Luu y: Khi dién dat cdc loai cd khac nhau, fish sé 6 hinh thtic s6 nhieu: Different fishes are found in the river. @ Mot sé tit lun cé hinh thie sé nhiéu nhung lai la danh tit sé it (ching khong phai la khai niém chi sé tugng) What is the good news? Billiards is my favourite sport. © Mot sé cum danh tit cé hinh thic sd nhiéu dién dat khai niém thoi gian, cu ly, khoang cach, v.v. nhung vi tudng trung cho mot don vj nén van dude xem 1a sd it ‘Twenty years is but a moment in history. 50 dollars is enough. To him, 5000 metres is not a long distance. © Khi chi ngit va bé ngit khong dong nhat Trong trudng hop chi ngit khac véi bé ngi vé sé luong thi dong tir ndi to be duge chia theo chi nga Our only guide was the two big rocks on top of the hill. (Go sénh: The two big rocks on top of the hill were our only guide.) Diamonds are a new subject with women today. © Cn cit vao tix chi sé lwdng cia cum danh ti Déi véi danh tiv hoac cum danh tit khéng dém duge, can ctf vao tit chi sé lugng ding trude no dé chia dong ti. A shaker of pepper is on the table. ‘There are two bottles of mineral water on the table. | Hai danh tit /dai tit ndi nhau bang lien tir or Khi hai danh tit /dai tir néi nhau bang lién tir or thi dgng tir dugc chia theo sO cia tir ding sau or. They or he is in the wrong. He or his parents have to go to Singapore for the matter. www.nhantriviet.com 139Basic IELTS Writing @ Céu tric either... or Tuong tu nhu truting hgp trén, déng tir trong cau tniic either ... or dugc chia theo sé cia danh tix /dai tir diing sau or. Either Tom or his team members are to blame. Either the ties or the hat is a good buy. Nhung néu xem danh tiy ding truéc va sau or 1a mot tap hgp thi diing déng ti sé nhiéu va dai tir thay thé cing la s6 nhieu. Ifeither John or Jane come, they will want to enjoy the music. © Céu tric neither ... nor Dong ti trong cAu triic neither ... nor dude chia theo s6 cla danh tit/dai ti ding sau nor. Neither you nor your sister is mistaken. Neither she nor her classmates want to do it. Nhung néu xem danh tit/dai tir diing trudc va sau nor 1a mét tap hgp thi chia dong tit so nhiéu. Neither Jack nor Peter have phoned me. © Cau tric not only ... but (also) Dong tiY sau cdu tric not onk nut (also) dug chia theo s6 cia dan tit ditng sau but also. Not only the dogs but also the old cat is coming out to welcome him back. © Cau tric a number of + danh tit sé nhiéu Ong ti sau cu tric a number of + danh tix s6 nhiéu phai ¢ dang sé nhiéu. A number of speakers have condemned terrorism. A large number of bees have attacked the invader. @® Cum tit per cent + of + danh tit Ong tiy sau cu tric per cent + of + danh tir dug chia theo s6 cla dank tit diing sau of. Sixty per cent of the liquor is alcohol 20% of the apples are bad. @ ong tix ding sau danh tit tap hgp dugc chia sé it hoac s6 nhiéu tay theo ngit canh The committee does not agree to this plan. (todn ay ban) The committee do not agree in opinion. (ting thanh vién trong ity ban) The average family is a great deal smaller than it used to be. (don vi mét gia dinh) My family are wonderful. They do all they can for me. (ttmg thanh vién trong gia dinh) 140 www.nhantriviet.comGrammatical Range and Accuracy Exercise 26 Translate the following sentences into English. 1, Canh sat dang diéu tra van dé nay. 2. Téi can 3 ta nhting thit nay. 3. Chiing téi d&n tré vi giao théng dong duc. 4. Ong 5. Khong chi binh si ma ca vi chi huy cting muén xem man trinh dign cita ho. da cho t6i vai ldi khuyén vé tién dau tu cia minh. SONA SMUT RCE Od Ba tiv nay thudng dé bj nham lin. @ satisfy 1a ngoai dong ti, nghia 1a lam ai hai long | The team’s performance didn’t satisfy the coach | That answer won't satisfy her. People were not satisfied with their life. She is quite satisfied now that the letter has come. | @ satisfying la tinh tit mang nghia cha dong, nghia la khién ai hai long'thda man. The story has a satisfying ending. It is satisfying to be proved right. © satisfactory cting |a tinh tit, nghia 14 théa dng. Tinh tit nay dién dat tinh chat ndi tai cia déi tugng dang duge nhac dén. ‘That certainly seems a satisfactory answer. The result of these efforts is usually satisfactory. Cc cau duéi day du sai People didn’t satisfied with their life. (phai sita didn’t thanh weren't) The teacher is satisfactory with his progress. (phai stia satisfactory thanh satisfied) Lam satisfying with your answer. (phai stta satisfying thanh satisfied) He is a satisfied teacher. (phai stta satisfied thanh satisfying) www.nhantriviet.com 141Basic IELTS Writing @ interest (danh ti) swe thich thai, m6i quan tam (ngoai déng tit) Jam ai thich tint hodc quan tam dén cdi gi I’ve lost my interest in painting, Painting interests him. The teacher tried to interest the students in current events, @ interested 1a tinh ti mang nghia bi dong, nghia 1a thich, quan tam, thuting xudt | hign trong cum ti be interested (in somebody/something)/ (to do something) He is interested in painting He was interested to watch them running around. © interesting la tinh tir mang nghia chi dng, nghia 1a thi vi He's a most interesting man. That sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Nhung cach dién dat thudng ding Duéi day la nhiing cum tit hoac cu tric ban cé thé sit dung khi viét doan van hoac bai lun. Tat c dugc phan loai theo 48 myc éé ban d8 dang tham khao. Bao TT oO ae eS ORC TRL Dé xudt I would advise/recommend you to + V... If you take my advice, you will + V . If I were you, I would + V.... (informal) In my opinion, you should + V .. As far as | am concerned, the best thing you can do is, From my point of view, the best thing is to + V... It would seem/appear to me that your best course would be to + V.... Hita hen If X had the chance/choice/opportunity, X would + V... Given the chance/choice/opportunity, X would + V ... Phin nan Thave had enough of the way + clause/X + V-ing ... (strong) Icannot stand/bear the way + clause/X any longer/X + V-ing ... (very strong) 142 www.nhantriviet.com| Cinh edo I will not + V ..., any longer. Unless X does ..., Y will + V It’s high/about time X did ... Xin li a. Xin 16i I apologise for + V-ing ... Tam extremely/very/terribly sorry + clause Please accept my apologies for + V-ing ... Grammatical Range and Accuracy b. Ly do/nguyén nhan Thad no idea + clause Thad no intention of + V-ing ... It was an accident /unavoidable. I did not mean to + V... (formal) So sanh va Trinh bay cdc diém khac nhau A differs from B in that ... The main difference between A and B is that .. One of the differences between A and B is that ... but /whereas/in contrast unlike/different from Néu kha nang c6 thé xay ra 1, Otuong lai a. Hau nhu chéc chan sé xdy ra: will be bound/sure to be likely to may b. Hau nur chéc chin sé khéng xay ra: will not be hardly likely to probably not probably will not possibly not 2. Ohién tai a. Khing dinh chée chén It is virtually certain that + clause (formal) Ais virtually certain to be + V-ing b, C6 thé mhung khong chéc chén In all probability + clause will probably possibly be unlikely to may not It is within the bounds of possibility that + clause (formal) Itis not inconceivable that + clause (very formal) www.nhantriviet com 143Writing There can be little likelihood that + clause (very formal) There can be little likelihood for A + V-ing .. c. Khing dinh khong xay ra There is absolutely no chance that + clause There is absolutely no chance for A + V-ing .. Néu khuynh huéng khai quat 1. Khuynh hugng duge thay 16 to tend (not) to + V.... (van néi va van viét) to have a tendency to + V ... (van viét, néi vé ngudi) to be inclined to + V ... (dé nhan dinh) Cac cum tir trén cd thé cé trang tix sometimes, often, generally, usually bé nghia. Vi du: They generally tend to share very similar tastes in music and clothes. 2. Khuynh hung khong r6 seem to + V/to be + V-ing . appear to + V/to be + V-ing . (Thi hign tai don dign dat tinh hu6ng c& dink; thi hign tai tiép din dign t& tinh hudng dang thay déi.) pethaps/maybe 3. Khai quat chung In the vast majority of cases, ... Ina large number of cases, ... In most cases, ... Generally (speaking), ... Trang tir ding trong cu tric so sinh Ais than B. considerably a great deal (very) much rather (quite) a lot bigger somewhat + smaller a bit cheaper alittle slightly scarcely hardly only just 144 www.nhantriviet.comAa . the same as B. exactly just precisely virtually more or less nearly almost approximately practically about AGS Ot oon the same as B. exactly entirely quite AGB vss conn Gifferent from B. totally completely entirely Trinh bay § kién/quan diém eiia ngudi khée (One of) The main arguments) against/in favour of X is that .. It has been said/argued that ... Some people would agree that ... It can be argued that ... Trinh bay ¥ kién/quan diém cd nhén Tt is a fact that ... Itis undeniable that .. There can be no doubt that . (Personally) I would agree that (Personally) I would tend to believe /argue/think that ... (formal) Trinh bay diéu thudn Igi/bit loi ‘A has the advantage of X, but suffers from the disadvantage of Y. (One of) The (main) advantage(s) /disadvantage(s) of A /doing ... is that ... Appendix www.nhantriviet.com 145Basic IELTS Writing Appendix Transition Signals Below is a list of useful connectors that you should use so as to produce a coherent and cohesive paragraph or compos Veet nra part To signal order/sequence To indicate order of importance To give opinions To add a similar idea 146 ‘ion. The last and most important reason is | Adding to this RCP) Firstly Lastly ‘My first point Next Secondly Thirdly To begin with To start with Above all First and foremost First and most importantly Last but not least More/Most importantly /significantly Primarily The first and most important reason is According to + name/noun pronoun (except me) e.g. According-to-me: incorrect As/So far as I am/(an issue is) concerned As for/As to (often used when discussing some- thing briefly) In my opinion In my view I think/believe/feel (that) Let us now turn to Regarding With reference/respect/regard to Additionally Also As well as Besides Further Furthermore In addition Moreover What is more www.nhantriviet.comgates ‘To compare things | Correspondingly | Equally | In the same way | Likewise | Similarly To introduce an opposite idea, and to con- | Anyway trast things | Better still/ Worse still Conversely Even so However In/By contrast Nevertheless Nonetheless On the contrary On the other hand Still Though ‘Yet To show concession | For all (this/ that) | In spite of/ Despite | However Even though/if To introduce an example | For example For instance To emphasise In fact Indeed Especially Particularly | Indeed That is That is to say In other words Namely ‘To explain and restate Otherwise Or If | Unless Alternatively | To introduce an alternative www.nhantriviet.com Appendix 147Basic IELTS Writing Renata pat) To introduce an effect or a result To conclude 148 ROC eae ale) ‘Accordingly As a consequence Asa result Because of this /that Consequently For this/that reason Hence Therefore ‘The result/ consequence is/was Thus All in all Altogether Ina word In brief In conclusion Indeed In short In summary On the whole Overall To conclude To sum up www.nhantriviet.comAnswer KeyBasic IELTS Writing Part 1 The IELTS General Training Task 1 Writing Dear Mr. Jackson, Tam writing this letter to thank you for the hospitality you gave me when I stayed in San Francisco. It was the first time I have been to San Francisco. During my stay, you let me live in your house, You gave me some very good advice of where to visit. What is more, at the weekend, you drove me to the Bay Bridge and the Fisher man’s Wharf so that I had a won- derful time in the city. [sincerely hope someday in the future when you come to Paris for a visit, I could repay you for your kindness, Once again with many thanks. Yours sincerely, Frangoie Dupont Frangoise Dupont (115 words) 150 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key pec) Dear Mr. Garfield, Tam writing to request the return of the $1,000 deposit that I paid to you before I rented No. 6A, Wayfield Terrace for the month of May. When I telephoned your office, I was told that you are not intending to repay this sum, and I am unable to understand the reason for this. When I signed the rental agreement, it was my understanding that the deposit would be returned if the apartment was vacated clean and undamaged. This was the condition of the flat when I returned the keys. I cleaned the whole apartment, and there were no breakages and no damage to fittings or furniture. 1 believe that I have kept to the terms of the agreement, and therefore, I respectfully request that my deposit be repaid in full. I shall have no alternative but to seek legal advice if we are unable to resolve this matter in a satisfactory manner. Yours sincerely, Sally Smith Sally Smith (163 words) OB eau) Pee Dear Sir or Madam, 1 wish to apply for the position of salesman advertised in the newspaper. T have been working as a salesman in the past five years first in a state-owned company and then in a joint venture, both in Kent. My reason for leaving the present job is that my parents have retired and moved to Brighton. In the past five years, I have had a good chance to know many clients, and I’m sure my connections built with them may also enable me to get more business for your firm if you will employ me. I shall be able to be called for an interview at your convenience and shall be able to supply any information necessary of my previous work. Yours faithfully, Martin Smith Martin Smith (131 words) www.nhantriviet.com 151Basic IELTS Writing Dear Sir or Madam, I'm sorry to bother you with this letter. For quite a few days, the water tap in my kitchen has been leaking. It not only wastes the valuable water resource, but also makes a big noise. 1 am now preparing my end-of- term paper, but the noise disturbs my work. In daytime, I can’t concentrate myself; at night I can’t sleep well. Thave informed the maintenance office of the matter, and they promised me they would come to fix it. Two days have passed, and nobody ever comes. Please help me solve the problem as soon as possible. I can’t endure it any more, Took forward to a quick solution. Regards, Leo Smith Leo Smith (120 words) Chapter 5 Invitation Letters Dear Sally, It has been almost three years since we graduated from Kent University. Iam sure you | must be enjoying your work and life very much. The Spring Festival of 2012 is coming and we are planning to join a package tour to Australia. Some of our former classmates are also going. Would you like to join us? You know, it is very warm in Australia in February. We can enjoy ourselves on the seashores. ‘We will visit many places including Sydney, Tasmania and Brisbane. Please let me know whether you can go or not. I sincerely hope you can join us. With kindest wishes. Yours, Sachiko Sachiko (109 words) 152 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key Oya mye 4 Beane) Dear Thomas, 1 am overjoyed to know that you are coming to Ho Chi Minh City for a ten-day visit However, I’m terribly sorry to say that I am not able to meet you at the airport on the day of your artival because | have to chair an international meeting that morning, Thope you will understand me, and therefore forgive me. In order that you won’t have any difficulty coming to my house, I have asked a friend of mine named Nam to meet you instead. On the day you arrive, Nam will wait at the exit, holding a board which reads “Welcome ‘Thomas White from New York”. He will also drive you to my house. I will give you a ring immediately after the meeting. Wish you a happy journey. Best, Mink Minh (136 words) www.nhantriviet.com 153Basic IELTS Writing. Part2 The IELTS Academic Task 1 Writing Chapter 1 Describing Graphs or Chart: L 1. Compared to 2007, the profits decreased by 5% in 2008. 2. In 2007, the international students decreased to 1,500, indicating a fall of 5%, compared to 2006. Team A scored 5 goals more than Team B. There are 2 fewer players taller than 2m in Team A than in Team B. As a matter of fact, the sugar contained in apples is as much as in pears. awe A very noticeable trend was the steady increase in the number of population riding bicycles. The number of people taking the bus increased from 2000 to 2008. In manual employment, males make up 70% of the workforce 9. In 1997, natural resources provided more than 17% of GDP, but this declined to less than 10% in 2007. 10. In the same period, the number of sheep grew rapidly from 230,000 to 310,000, but that of cattle fell sharply from 180,000 to less than 130,000. 2 Version 1 In the first five months of last year, the company’s monthly profits increased to 10,000 USD and remained stable. But the monthly profits in June was 9,000 USD, a fall of 10%. From July to September, the profits fluctuated between 9,000 USD and 7,000 USD. In the last quarter of the year, however, the monthly profits rose steadily and reached a peak of 11,000 USD in December. Version 2 From January to May of last year, the company’s monthly profits rose to 10,000 USD and remained constant. But the monthly profits dropped to 9,000 USD in June, indicating a decrease of 10%, In the following three months, the profits went up and down between 9,000 USD and 7,000 USD. However, from October to December, the monthly profits picked up steadily, and peaked in December, reaching 11,000 USD. 154 www.nhantrivietcomAnswer Key Version 3 Last year from January to May, there was an increase in the company’s monthly profits which was 10,000 USD, and it levelled off until June in which the monthly profits declined by 10%, dropping to 9,000 USD, Then, from July to September, the monthly profits fluctu- ated between 9,000 USD and 7,000 USD. Yet, in the last three months of the year, it picked up steadily, and reached the highest point of 11,000 USD in December. Some errors in this passage must be corrected: 1. Atthe end of paragraph 2: It has dropped sharply in 2007 ‘The present perfect tense used here is incorrect. The past simple tense must be used because the year 2007 is a definite past time. 2. Paragraph 4 mentions just a detail of the table though there is nothing wrong with the data. The major information in the table should be compared and/or contrasted with a significant description. 3. The last paragraph is the writer's personal opinion which must not be included in this kind of writing ‘The two pie charts show the proportions of people from Provinces A and B working in various fields in England. Most of the people from Province A do business. They account for 70% of the total, which is seven times as much as people from Province B, who account for only 10%, On the contrary, most people from Province B do domestic service in England, making up 67% of the total while the proportion of those from Province A who do the same work is only 8%, much less than those from Province B. It is interesting to see that the proportions of those from the two provinces whose occupation is architecture both account for one fifth of the total population of the two provinces working in England. In conclusion, the two charts show clearly that although people from the two provinces do almost the same types of work in England, the proportions of people who do the same work vary significantly. (162 words) www.nhantriviet.com 155Basic IELTS Writing 5. | 1 This passage has answered the following questions: 1. What does this chart show? 2. Inwhich month were the sales the most successful? 3. How many cars and trucks were sold in that month? . Was it the only month in which the sales were over 300? What is the descending order as far as the sales were concerned? 4 5. 6. In which month were the sales the worst? 7. How many cars and trucks were sold in that month? 8. Was it the only month in which the sales were below 150? 9. Were the sales of the two types of vehicles close to each other in August? 10, How many cars and trucks were sold respectively in August? 11. Is there any correlation between the sales of cars and trucks? 2. The passage has described and compared the following data along the horizontal and vertical axes: 1. It has stated the number of vehicles sold in six months with the conclusion that September was the highest month of sales while October witnessed the lowest number of sales: September was the only month in which over 300 vehicles were sold, 230 cars and 100 trucks. October was the worst month of sales in the second half of the year with only 145 vehicles sold, 185 less than September. It is the only month in which the number of sold vehicles was under 150. 2. Ithas indicated a descending order of sales: This month was, in descending order of sales, followed by November, December, July, August and October. 3. Ithas described the biggest and the smallest sales of both cars and trucks: The most successful and worst sales of cars happened in September (230) and October | (55) respectively, while those of trucks fell in November (110) and July (80) respectively. 6. Some errors in this passage must be corrected: 1. Itcan clearly seen that from 1950 to 2000 the percentage of women smokers in Asia kept increasing while in Europe first rose and then fell. There are two errors in this sentence: a, Itcan clearly seen must be written in the passive structure, so be must be added (after clearly). 156 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key b. while in Europe first rose and then fell This clause lacks a subject. The correct version is while that in Europe first rose and then fell. | That here replaces from 1950 to 2000 the percentage of women smokers. 2. with Europe higher of 2% of must be replaced by by (refer to Frequently-used words and expressions in describing charts graphs//tables and changes of data presented in Chapter 1 ~ Part 2) 3. while in Asia, there was only arise by 3% by must be replaced by of (refer to Frequently-used words and expressions in describing charts /graphs/ tables and changes of data presented in Chapter 1 ~ Part 2) 4, the percentage of women smokers in Asia never stopped to grow ‘The correct phrase here is stopped growing. (Pay attention to the different meanings of an infinitive and a gerund after stop.) 7 The table shows the figures of books of science, books of humanities and magazines that were borrowed in a community library for January 2008. There are two groups of figures: books lent to community members and those to non-community members. The figures of community members are divided into two groups, males and females. The males borrowed 430 science books, 259 humanities books and 99 magazines. The females borrowed 125 science books, 36 humanities books and 135 magazines. More science and humanities books were lent to the males than those to the other two groups of bor- rowers. Although non-community members did not borrow any humanities books, they loaned 53 science books and 310 magazines. ‘The females borrowed more magazines (135) than the males (99). On the other hand, magazines loaned to community members were fewer than those to non-community members. ‘The amount of publications lent for the first month of the year was 1447 (788 to the males, 296 to the females and 363 to non-community members). Books of science accounted for the greatest number of the publications borrowed (608). (179 words) www.nhantriviet.com 157The given table and chart tell us the total number of attendance at the Five-ring Cup English Speech Contest, and the percentage of boys and girls attending the contest in the four years from 2003 to 2006. With the increase of people attending the contest, the total number of attendance and the percentage of the attendance of both boys and girls varied in the four years from 2003 to 2006. In the first two years, the total number of attendance increased from 717 in 2003 to 1,096 in 2004. From 2004 to 2005, the number increased by 424, from 1,096 to 1,520. In 2006, there was a big rise of attendance reaching 6,088, which is four times as many as that in 2005, and nearly nine times as that in 2003. From 2003 to 2005, the boys’ attendance rose steadily from 50% to 60% while that of girls dropped from 50% to 40%. 2006 saw the reverse of the trend with the boys’ attendance dropping sharply from 60% to 33% while that of girls increased by 26%, hitting 66%. (179 words) 158 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key Ory wae eee ees eae eB a celeas Ll The first step is to insert the key into the ignition switch, Then, check that the handbrake is on. The third step is to shift the gear to the neutral position. ‘After this, tum the key to start the engine and engage first gear. The next step is to release the handbrake, Then, turn on the signal and check the road. MOvae ene Now, you may drive away. An electric wristwatch is a good device to tell time. It saves the trouble of winding every day, and it is lighter in weight. An electric wristwatch consists mainly of the following parts: the core, the digital read- ‘out, the watchstrap, the power source or the battery cell, and a few buttons for adjusting time. ‘When the battery is used up, you need to change one. To do so, first, you need to buy a battery of the same model and model number as the original one. Then, open the cover of the battery cell and replace the old one. Be sure you put the positive and the negative poles right. After this, cover the battery cell. Finally, you need to adjust the time by using the hour, minute and second buttons and the date buttons. www.nhantrivietcom 159Basic IELTS Writing Part 3 The IELTS Academic and General Training Task 2 Writing 1 LA. Introduction: No Body: Still strong enough to work (physical and mental) ) Rich experience of work (more familiar with the job than the young) A burden to society (pension) Loss of great social property (experienced people) Some people don’t know how to use leisure time (loneliness) Conclusion: Postpone the retiring age till 70 B. Introduction: Yes | Body: More job vacancies for the young (employment) More chances for promotion for the young Young people have more energy and drive (physical and mental) Do what one could not do while working (too busy to do when working) Enjoy family life (more time at home) aye keer Enjoy leisure time Conclusion: 50 is all right, 2, Introduction: A serious problem. Both government and citizens are responsible, Body: 1. Government: develop mass transit systems and roads (buses, rails, the tube, flyovers, broaden roads) 2. Citizens: take the initiative (observe traffic regulations, use more mass transit systems, traffic lights, bicycles) Conclusion: Could be solved 3. Introduction: A good thing Body: 1. Meet students’ desire to get education 160 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key 2. Heighten the education level of the society 3. Meet the needs of a scientific society Conclusion: A good thing 1. People say that superstitions are all nonsense, but I think there are some things that you must take notice of. For example, my uncle, who was a test pilot, was killed in a plane crash on Friday the 13th on a trip. 2. The habit of eating meat is a repulsive one if we stop to think about it. We detest can- nibalism and try to stamp it out among primitive peoples, but all meat comes from animals and human beings are animals, Therefore, when we eat animal flesh, we are being cannibals, What difference is there between us and jungle savages? 3. To enroll more college students is certainly a good thing. It will provide the society with more intelligent workforce. But the disadvantages of this enlarging enrollment cannot be ignored, and actions must be taken to minimise its negative effects. 4. One of the hottest issues dis important than practical sussed among scientists is whether pure science is more nce. So far as Tam concerned, I am against this idea. L 1. Charles is very interested in cars. He knows all the details about every new model. He spends a lot of time working on his old Ford, and he attends all the car shows. 2. Well-established mass transit systems are far more efficient and economical than private cars, Take bus for example. One car holds at most five people, but one bus can hold 40 to 50, eight to ten times as many as a car. To move the same number of people from one place to another, we need a lot more vehicles if we use private cars. The more vehicles on the roads, the more chances for traffic jams to happen 3. We cannot do without animals now. Wherever we live, we gain profits from animals. Imagine what our life would be like if we were dispossessed of meat, eggs and milk, let alone many services provided by animals are free of charge. What is more, pets have become an inseparable part of our life. 4. Of course, we have to admit that travelling alone has its merits. You can change your destination at any time. You can stay in one place as long as you like. You can leam to be independent and make new friends, and you can learn to deal with problems by yourself. 5. There are many energy sources besides petrol. Take electricity for example. While we are using some electricity produced by oil, most of it is produced by coal and water. We also know that in many countries, especially in developed countries, a high percentage of electri- city is from nuclear power stations www.nhantriviet.com 161Basic IELTS Writing 1. To begin with 3. Moreover 5. In addition 2. therefore 4. Furthermore 6. Alll inal 1. In brief, to ban smoking on planes totally is a good decision and passengers who know the significance will certainty welcome it. | 2. Therefore, we can see that the disadvantages of owning a car are no less than the advantages. Is Our World Really Too Dependent on Oil? On the twenty-first of November, this column carried an article asserting that our world is too dependent on oil and that without oil, the world would be ruined. It especially mentions transportation means. Here I have to say I cannot agree to this statement. It is true that oil is playing a very important role in our life, economically, politically and militarily. Many wars have happened in the Middle East because of oil. The US-Iraq War in early 90s is a good example. But that does not necessarily mean that without oil, our world would meet its doom. ‘There are many energy sources that we are using even today. Take electricity for example; While we are using some electricity produced by oil, most of it is produced by coal and water. We also know that in many countries, especially in developed countries, a high percentage of electricity is from nuclear power stations. Next, let us also take transportation means, for example, to see if without oil, we would be able to go nowhere. First, let us look at trains. In some places, diesel is used as fuel. But diesel is frequently replaced by electricity. Then, let us look at cars and buses. In Singapore, buses have started using LNG (liquefied natural gas) ~ not LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), by the way. One may ask the same question concerning planes. It is true that, at present, planes mainly fly by oil. But planes are not everything. What is more, so far as we know, scientists are testing the substitutions of oil because the resource of petroleum underground cannot last forever. In conclusion, oil is important, but it is not indispensable, especially in the future. (290 words) 162 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key Why Do We Have Greater Work Pressure and Less Leisure Time? Nowadays, many people are complaining that they are suffering more pressure from their jobs, and at the same time, they get less spare time to enjoy themselves than before. What they complain is true, unfortunately. We all know that the more rapidly science and technology develop, the more complex jobs we have to tackle. Today, man must hasten their work pace because many jobs now have employed the newly-developed high-tech, which makes their jobs more complex and. difficult than ever before. That is why many people are complaining that they are suffering more and more pressure from their jobs. What is more, the more the new technology appears, the sharper competition we have to face. Companies have to compete with their counterparts for more profits, and people have to compete with their colleagues in order not to be laid off. Such being the case, it is very natural that people have to spend more time on their work and less time on their recreations. Again, to keep up with the development of this “information society”, people cannot but use their leisure time to study new knowledge, including foreign languages. IF we have a look at how people are rushing to evening schools after a day’s work, we will have some ideas of how busy they really ate, for a better job, ot for faster promotions. It is not surpris- ing, therefore, that they should have complained that they get less spare time to enjoy themselves. On the whole, with the development of science and technology, people will have to lose their spare time, and face the pressure they have never experienced before. (282 words) 3. Fully Enjoy Yourself. Travel Alone! Is travelling always refreshing and entertaining? The answer depends on who you will travel with. If you travel all by yourself, you may be able to enjoy your tour and entertain yourself, but if you travel with a group of people in a package tour, it could be very tiring and disappointing. Travelling alone, you are your own master, and you can go where you like without the trouble of being told where to go. The big tourist spots are certainly worth seeing, but some other places also have their value. Take Beijing for example, the Forbidden City is a must in www.nhantriviet.com 163Basic IELTS Writing your plan, but the Hutongs (small lanes) are also fascinating, Travelling with a group, you are deprived of the right to go to a place which is not listed in the timetable, No matter the planned place is interesting or not, you would have to go to see it, wasting your time and energy. ‘Travelling alone, you can plan your time’ freely, and you are a free man to stay where you like as long as you prefer. Nobody is behind you telling you it is time to leave. But travelling with a group of people, you would be herded here and there like sheep, and you have to hurry all along the trip because, according to the plan, the coach must leave at a certain time. How can you really enjoy yourself while being rushed here and there? How can you fully enjoy the beauty of the Forbidden City in only two hours? I do not think I have to say more to tell which is better, travelling alone or travelling with a group of people, The two points mentioned above have justified my view. (293 words) Popular Music Is for the Young Ever since there were human beings, there has been music, whatever kind of music it might be, because it is all the crystallisation of wisdom. But due to different understanding of and tastes in music, people’s choices of music vary. Many young people, including me, prefer popular music to classical music. Firstly, popular music comes from the real life, and therefore is more accessible to the young. On the contrary, classical music is a bit far away from them. When students listen. to “Teachers, Leave Us Alone”, they certainly feel comfortable and satisfied. Why is it so? Because they fully know what the song is really about. Secondly, most popular songs are about love, a theme most youngsters care for and long for. Youngsters have more romantic dreams about love. The music, the words of a love song can be very soothing or encouraging. A friend of mine felt very sad after losing his sweetheart. It was a love song that has encouraged him, and he brightened up again. He said to me that the song told him that the world is not ending yet. Thirdly, the tune of popular music is, compared with classical music, easier to follow, and therefore, it is easier for them to learn. Young people like to show off, and to sing songs at a karaoke parlour is a good way to do it. The songs they sing would certainly be popular songs such as “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”. How many of them would sing “Doctor Jivago”? Ina word, popular music provides us with almost all what we need. Therefore, itis very natural for us to enjoy it more. (286 words) 164 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key Part 4 Grammatical Range and Accuracy 1. Is anybody home? / Is there anybody home? 2. Nobody is home. / There is nobody home. 3. Three were killed in the car accident. / There were three victims in the car accident. / There were three people (who had been) killed in the car accident. / Three died in the car accident. 4, There are many questions that have no answers. / There are many questions without answers. / There are many questions that cannot be answered. 5. Tam sure he is able to fulfil the task by himself. / I believe he can do it all by himself. 6. She hasn't been home for three years. 7. Ihave two cats. / 1 own two cats. 8. Is she very much experienced? 9. Salt exists in many things. 10. Is it necessary for you to go personally? 11. Some factories are still discharging toxic waste. 12, There are two VIPs coming for a visit in the afternoon. / Two VIPs are coming to visit in the afternoon 13. Six of her classmates are to take the exam for postgraduate study. / There are six class~ mates of hers who are to take the exam for postgraduate study. / There are six of her classmates planning to take the exam for postgraduate study. 1. T do not want to see the movie. My girlfriend doesn’t, either. / Neither my girlfriend nor I want to see the movie. /I do not want to sce the movie. Neither does my girlfriend. 2. Both Mr. Brown and Mr. Green are PhD candidates. / Mr. Brown and Mr. Green are both PhD candidates. / Mr. Brown is a PhD candidate. So is Mr. Green. / Mr. Brown is a PhD candidate, and Mr. Green is also a PhD candidate. 3. He wants to be a singer as well as an actor. / He wants to be a singer, and he wants to be an actor, too (an actor as well). / He wants to be a singer, and he also wants to be an actor. www.nhantriviet.com 165Basic IELTS Writing ye eee You must make yourself respected. His ability made him president of that university, Her boyfriend made her feel secure. People who won't work should be made to work, The lights made the streets as light as day. His rudeni s made it hard for me to control myself. He tried hard to make himself heard. The change of the situation put us in a very awkward position. His deeds ensured us of his honesty. His work delayed his trip. Her father’s death almost broke her heart. T hope you won't do anything until/till we all have thought it over. Let's wait untiltill the rain stops. Did he wait until 7 in the evening? We did not return home tilluntil 11 o’elock. I didn’t know till now that you were ill, 1, They worked on the farm that (which) needed many workers. 2. Did you hear about the accident that (which) had happened near the park? 3. There we saw oil-workers who worked all through the Spring Festival 4. Samples are presented free to applicants, whoever they may be. 5. Mr. Clinton was pleased with the letter which he received the other day. 6. You are the only one whose advice he might listen to. 7. The problem is who we can get to replace him. 8. Lam sorry that you're ill. 9. She is the professor whom (that) I told you about. 10. All who heard the story were shocked, 11, We must understand that with more and more visitors visiting London, we will get more money. 166 www-nhantriviet.comAnswer Key 1. My suggestion is to develop light industry first, / My suggestion is to give priority to the development of light industry. He came this morning. Didn't he say that he was (is) to go to Brighton? 1 did say (that) environment is more important than development, Yes, I'm coming. I came to see her. Who told you? He certainly doesn’t know 1. His suggestion is worth trying. 2. It is worth at least 200 USD. 3. It isn’t worth much. 4. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 5. Is it worth all the trouble? er AwERwWN 6. What is worth doing is worth doing well 1, She didn’t feel quite well; maybe it was the cold weather. 2. I think maybe they don’t want him, he is so cross 3. Imay be coming back in the fall 4, Maybe I will come back in the fall. ae 1. [prefer the town to the country. 2. I prefer to walk rather than go by bus. 3. L prefer carnation, 4, I prefer not to think about the future. 5. So you prefer living abroad? 6. She preferred him to spend all day out. 7. He preferred, of course, that such comments should cease www.nhantriviet.com 167Basic IELTS Writing 1. My aunt invited me to the movies, but I would rather go on a picnic with my classmates. 2. He would rather listen to others than talk himself. 3, I deserve a promotion rather than he does. 4. [bought it because it is comfortable rather than pretty. 5. I'd rather deal with a man than with a woman. 1. A car appeared on the hill. 2. The doctor inquired what had occurred. 3. Where were you when the car accident happened? 4. Her father has died. 5. She has been dead for a year. 1. You had better not disturb her. 2. You had better be on time, or we will leave without you. 3. You had better not wake me up when you come in. 4. We had better take some measures before he comes. 1. The police are investigating the matter. 2. L want three dozens of these, 3. We were late because there was a lot of traffic, 4. He gave me some advice about investing my money. 5. Not only the soldiers, but also the commander wants to watch their performance. 168 www.nhantriviet.com,Answer Key Marking Criteria of the Writing Test ‘The reader finds the essay completely satisfactory. A point of view is presented and de- veloped, either arguing for and supporting one position of considering alternative positions by presenting and discussing relevant ideas and evidence. ‘The argument proceeds logically through the text with a clear progression of ideas. There is plentiful material. A wide range of vocabulary is used appropriately. The reader sees no errors in word formation or spelling. A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately and appropriately. This answer does not fully achieve level 9 in communication quality, arguments, ideas and evidence. There is a good range of appropriate vocabulary. The reader sees no significant errors of word formation or spelling. The range of sentence structures used is good, and is well controlled for accuracy and appropriateness. sere - The reader finds this a satisfactory essay which generally communicates fluently and only rarely causes strain. A point of view is presented, although it may be unclear at times whether a single position is being taken or alternative positions being considered. The argument has a clear progression overall although there may be minor isolated problems. Ideas and evidence are relevant and sufficient, but more detail may seem desirable. The range of vocabulary is fairly good, and vocabulary is usually used appropriately. Errors in trusive. A satisfactory range of sentence structures occurs, and there are only occasional, minor flaws in the control word formation are rare and, while errors do occur, they are not of sentence structures. (a ' The reader finds this a mainly satisfactory essay which communicates with some degree of fluency. Although there is sometimes strain for the reader, control of organisational patterns and devices is evident. A point of view is presented although it may be unclear | whether a single position is being taken or alternative positions are being considered. The progression of the argument is not always clear, and it may be difficult to distinguish main www.nhantrivietcom 169Basic IELTS Writing ideas from supporting materials. The relevance of some ideas or evidence may be dubious, and some specific support may seem desirable, The range of vocabulary sometimes appears limited accompanied by the inappropriateness of its use. Minor limitations of, or errors in, word choice sometimes intrude on the reader. Word formation and spelling errors occur, but are only slightly intrusive. Sentence structures are generally adequate, but the reader may feel that control is achieved by the use of a restricted range of structures or, in contrast, that the use of a wide variety of structures is not marked by the same level of structural accuracy. This is an essay which often causes strain for the reader. While the reader is aware of an overall lack of fluency, there is a sense of an answer which has underlying coherence. ‘The essay introduces ideas although there may not be many of them, or they may be insufficiently developed. Arguments are presented but may lack clarity, relevance, consistency or support. The range of vocabulary and appropriateness of its use are limited. Lexical confusion and incorrect word choice are noticeable. Word formation and spelling errors may be quite intrusive. There is a limited range of sentence structures, and the greatest accuracy is achieved in short, simple sentences. Errors in such areas as agreement of tenses and of subjects and verbs ate noticeable. This essay attempts communication, but meaning comes through only after consider- able effort by the reader. There are signs of a point of view, but main ideas are difficult to distinguish from supporting materials, and the amount of support is inadequate. Such evidence and ideas as are presented may not be relevant, There is no clear progression to the argument, The range of vocabulary is often inadequate and/or inappropriate. Word choice causes serious problems for the reader. Word formation and spelling errors cause severe strain for the reader. Limited control of sentence structures, even short and simple ones, is evident. Errors in such areas as agreement of tenses and of subjects and verbs cause severe strain for the reader. 170 www.nhantriviet.comAnswer Key The seriousness of the problems in this essay prevents meaning from coming through more than spasmodically. The essay has few ideas and no apparent development. Such evidence and ideas as presented are irrelevant. There is little comprehensible point of view or argument, The reader is aware of gross inadequacies of vocabulary, word forms and spelling. Control of sentence structures is evident only occasionally and errors predominate. The writing displays no ability to communicate. There is evidence of one or two ideas without development. The reader sees no control of word choice, word forms and spelling. There is little or no evidence of control of sentence structures. Sa ‘The writing appears to be by a virtual non-writer, containing no assessable strings of English writing, If an answer is wholly or almost wholly copied from the source materials, it is scored in this category. Should only be used when a candidate did not attend, or did not attempt this question in any way. www.nhantriviet.com 171Basic IELTS Writing Chi bien Wang Yue Xi Chuyén ngit phan chu giai Nguyén Thanh Yén Chiu tréch nhigm xudt ban Nguyén Thj Thanh Huong Bién tp Hoai Nam Trinh bay sich Cong ty Nhn Tri Viét Sita ban in Hau Loc NHA XUAT BAN TONG HOP THANH PHO HO CHf MINH 62 Nguyén Thi Minh Khai - Quan 1 ‘@ 38225340 — 38296764 - 38247225 — 38296713 - 38223637 Fax: 38222726 E-mail: [email protected] vwew.nxbhem.com.vn Cong ty TNHH Nhan Tri Viét 83° Tran Dinh Xu, P. Nguyén Cut Trinh, Quin 1 Thanh phé Hé Chi Minh ‘we 38379344 Fax: 39200681 ‘www.nhantriviet.com In 1.000 cudn khé 18,5 x 26cm tai Céng ty TNHH MTV ITAXA - 126 Nguyén Thi Minh Khai - Quan 3 = Tp. 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H6 Chi Minh # 38353608 - 38354845 Fax 38302417 mal: [email protected] Website: wars. hasachminhtam.comntv Nhan Tri i Viet® feo) Pra peered [ain ine Reece cra fete ey Phét hanh tai Nha sch MINH TAM 2868 An Dufong Vuong P4 Q5 TP. HO Chi Minh 38353608 - 38354845 Fax 38302417 Email: minhtamdnhantriviet.com - Website: www.nhasachminhtam.comMulti-level New TOEIC Test Preparation Series Ban quyén ctia loat sch nay duge chuyén nhugng cho Céng ty TNHH Nhan Tri Viét, dc quyén xudt bin tai Viet Nam. p TOEIC TOEICH TOEIC OT Ey SMART ps g LeGal 8 a! s bs ‘ides Tontc |_| Hien Tox iwechn’ — toecdind) BB BS. 500-750 G20LEVEL| —-73QLEVEL Tee ea ‘B6OLEVEL ALL LEVELS Phat binh tai Nha sich MINH TAM 2868 An Duong Vuong P4 Q5 TP. Hé Chi Minh 2 38353608 - 38354845 Fax 38302417 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nhasachminhtam.comMulti-level IELTS Preparation Series h nay duge chuyén nhugng cho Céng ty TNHH Nhan Tri Viét, déc quyén xuat ban tai Viét Nam. Ban quyén ctia loa! PA esc 1eLTS Sas fELTS Batt ry Lainey Ra Spies - E csemiat Essent) Ese! Eset Tinening —_USpecing, Phonetics Grammar ie Maio oe r ba © » + ra cS ° Nha sich MINH TAM 226 An ing Wang 64 8 1 HBcal eh ‘ seaeseae —sa064n4s Fox 30902817 Gia 124,004 ai: afhtanntantet com Website: wiw.nhesachminhtam.com olracos