Reading Tips from Barron‘s IELTS 2nd Edition

Question types

Multiple-choice questions                        Locating information
short-answer questions                             Identifying points of view
Completing sentences                              Identifying writer's claim
Completing notes, summary, tables, flowcharts
Classifying information
Labeling a diagram                                  Matching lists or phrases
Choosing headings for paragraphs or sections of a text
Yes, No, True, False, or Not Given questions

During the Test

1. Read the title and any headings first. Make predictions about the topic.
2. Look over the questions quickly. Make predictions about content and organization.
3. Reading the passage at a normal speed. Don't get stuck on parts or words you dont' understand.
4. When you answer the questions, don't spend too much time on the ones you don't feel sure about. Make a guess and go on.
5. After you have answered all the questions, you can go back and check the ones you aren't sure about.
6. The last passage is longer and more complex than the first two, so remember to save time for it.
7. Be sure to write your answers on the answer sheet before the 60 minutes are up. You will NOT have extra time to transfer your answers.

Predict: Who What When Where and Why

Using

the first paragraph

the topic sentences

specific details

the questions and answers

Common words

Common Adverbs of Frequency

always
usually
often
sometimes
occasionally
seldom
hardly ever
rarely
never

Common Adverbial Time Words or Phrases

every day daily
twice a week
once a month
on occasion
every year, yearly
every other week
from time to time
once in a while

Common Words That Express Emotion

afraid            angry            annoyed            ashamed            bored            confused            disappointed
ecstatic         embarrassed exhausted          frustrated           happy           jealous               mad
miserable      nervous        proud                 sad                    shocked        surprised            unhappy
upset             worried


These words and phrases are often used with comparison and contrast.

almost the same as             in common            also            just as                        as
as the same time as            like, alike              resemble    either/or                    similar to
correspondingly                 neither/nor           than            in the same way
in a like manner


Contrast

although            more than            but            nevertheless            differ from/different from
otherwise          even though         still           unlike                      on the other hand
however            in contrast to       while         instead                     less than            yet

Common negative markers.

Before verbs/clause

not            isn't/can't/won't/shouldn't/couldn't/hasn't/mustn't          
rarely/only rarely            hardly            scarcely            seldom            never          
barely            not since             until            and neither

Before nouns/phrase

no            no where            nothing
at no time 决不，从不             no at this time            in no case决不            by no means决不


Common words and phrases that indicate Chronological Order

before            after            while            during            between   and    
in (year)         on (day)      at(time)       since               later
earlier            formerly      every (number) (years, month, days)
at the turn of the century(decade)              in the first half of the century
in the 20s, 1980s
at birth, in childhood, in infancy, as an adult, in adulthood, in old age
simultaneously, at the same time as
former, latter
previous            prior to            first, second, third, etc.
in the first place, second place            next, then, subsequently
to begin with            in the next place            at last            in conclusion            finally

Unit 1 from Cambridge Common mistakes at IELTS Intermediate ... and how to avoid them

P5

We use the

• with countries or places where the name refers to a group of islands or states: the United States, the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, the UK
• with superlatives: the best, the longest, the highest
• with cardinal numbers: the first, the second, the third
• when there is only one in the world: the environment, the internet, the sun
• to refer to the only one in this particular area: the government, the police, the river
• in the phrase: the same as

We don't use the

• with a single country or place: America, England, China
• to talk about something in general. We use the plural if we are talking about something in general; we use the to identify one specific example. Compare:

People with reading difficulties often have problems with numbers.
The number eight is considered lucky in some countries.

My father has fished in rivers all over Australia.

P7

Some nouns in English are 'uncountable'. This means they do not have a plural form. Some common uncountable nouns are: advice, advertising, food, furniture, garbage, information, knowledge, money, shopping, time, traffic, travel.

With uncountable nouns, you use use:

• the singular form: food, information, money
• a little / amount of / much / some: How much money do you have?

The amount of traffic on the roads is increasing each year.

• a singular verb: There was already a little furniture in the flat.

If a noun is uncountable, you cannot use:

• a plural form: advice, furnitures, garbages, informations, knowledges
• a/an: an advice, a garbage, a knowledge
• a few / many / number of: a few shopping, many traffic, the number of knowledge
• a number: three travels, four furniture
• a plural verb: There were a little furniture in the flat.
• If you want to add a number to an uncountable noun, you can use a piece of / some / a few pieces of: a piece of advice, three pieces of furniture, a few pieces of garbage.

I was surprised by the number of time it took us to reach the castle.

                                    amount

I can't wait to visit the market and do a few shopping.
                                                            some

The furnitures in the hotel room were quite old but they were very comfortable.
                                                     was                       it was

P9
Correct the 14 mistakes in the text below.

The globalisation has had an enormous impact on many part of the world. Nowadays, even in some of most remote parts of world, we connect to internet and conduct business. However, they is adavantage and disadvantage to this.  One disadvantages, for example, is that the local culture and language can be affected. It can also mean that local businesses has to reduce their prices to compare with bigger overseas companies. However, there are advantages; for example, globalisation can bring more business to a small area, which is good for the local economy. It may also help to stop young person moving away from more remote area. If a young person have the chance to run a business and be successful no matter where he or she lives, then perhaps more people will choose to stay in these small communities. It also means that news from around the world are available to everyone, and this can be reduce the feeling of isolation.














The globalisation (globalization) has had an enormous impact on many parts of the world. Nowadays, even in some of most remote parts of the world, we connect to the internet and conduct business. However, they is (there are) adavantages and disadvantages to this.  One disadvantages, for example, is that the local culture and language can be affected. It can also mean that local businesses has (have) to reduce their prices to compare with bigger overseas companies. However, there are advantages; for example, globalisation can bring more business to a small area, which is good for the local economy. It may also help to stop young person (people) moving away from more remote areas. If a young person have (has) the chance to run a business and be successful no matter where he or she lives, then perhaps more people will choose to stay in these small communities. It also means that news from around the world are is available to everyone, and this can be reduce the feeling of isolation.