How to prepare for IELTS Writing in 10 days ( Part 3- IELTS Writing)

How to prepare for IELTS Writing in 10 days ( Part 3- IELTS Writing)

Hey guys, Sorry i got late to write this post. Well i hope your preparation is on right track for IELTS.

Today we will discuss about how to work on IELTS writing and what you should keep in mind to write well..It's easy to say that you should write logically.. And flow of ideas should be smooth, structured. But no one really talks about what strategies you should follow for IELTS Writing.

Let me break this post for IELTS Writing into two parts. Part A and Part B. Part A is where you will have to analyse a graph and analyse it. Part B is where you ll have to put in extra effort and give more time. The ideas for both remain the same except that Part A will be small. IELTS Writing section suggests you to write minimum 150 words in Part A and min 250 in part B.

On test day, i had written around 220 words in Part A and around 350 in Part B.

Part A

-------

1. While writing for IELTS, firstly, you should give an overview of what the graph analyses. In first paragraph, write about what you would be comparing. Make sure that you capture the main points.

2. I use transition words whereever possible. This is VERY VERY important for IELTS Writing. For example "In Contrast, A showed growth.." OR "In addition, the growth of females suffered during 1990" OR "Moreover, the volume of rainfall increased... " etc..
So do you words like First, Second, Third, Morever, In addition, In sum, To Conclude, In contrast, At the same time, Incidently etc. This will make your writing very easy to read from a reader's perspective.

It's really important that in for IELTS Writing, you use words like: increased, decreased, remained almost constant, stable, volatile, sharp decline etc..

3. While concluding in IELTS writing, give a 2-3 line summary of what you analysed. For eg. "In sum, the ratio of males to females increased during the period 1990-2000, while it remained stable during 2001-2005 and then showed a sharp decline during the period 2006- 2010"

Part B

-------

The rules for Part B remain the same. In part B of IELTS Writing, use more imagination as you dont have a graph. Use your own ideas and think in varied directions and then keep forming paragraphs. My topic for Part B was "In your opinion, what would be the result of introducing a common international languague for communication" So i formed a general introduction that there will be both pros and cons. In pros, i made around 3-4 paragraphs and talked about the benefits. In cons also i did the same. And i concluded by saying that i feel that the cons far outweigh the pros and there are more disadvantages of introducing such a language.Then i summarized it in 2 -3 lines by using keyword "To conclude, though there are advantages of introducing a new international language like .., .., .., the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages, and hence....."

One important point that follows for both part A and part B in IELTS writing is that you should also keep your writing gramatically correct and follow english rules like parallelism, correct punctuation as much as possible. This is really important.

Keep these points in mind and i am sure you will get 8.5 out of 9 in IELTS writing as i got :) If you need any assistance in writing part, feel free to contact me.

PS: If you have a lot of time with you, start writing a blog. You will realize that as you keep writing every few days, your way of writing will improve. This will certainly help you in your IELTS Writing !!

How to get good score in IELTS Reading in 10 days - Part 2 (Reading)

How to prepare for IELTS Reading

This is part 2 of my article on 'How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening) ', in continuation of my previous post. Here I would focus on how you can improve your reading skills for IELTS.

There is a difference when you compare IELTS reading with general reading.

1. Read by getting gist of each paragraph. Remember that the first step to become a good reader is to quickly understand what the reader wants to convey. Dont read word by word. Read one paragraph quickly and form a mental image of what idea the author wants to convey. This will help you in retaining what you read. This is important while taking the IELTS Reading exam.

2. This is most important:
Preparation for IELTS Reading needs to be covered in a strategic manner during the test. You have 60 mins for reading 3 passages. This is what you should do:
Passage 1: Allocate 16-17 mins, Passage 2: Allocate 20-22 mins, Passage 3: Allocate 25-26 mins
This is because with each passage the difficulty level increases. I would also advice you to complete all the passages in IELTS book that you have got from Cambridge. This is because one of the passage I got in real IELTS Reading exam was taken from this book. My 1st passage was Olympic torch. It was fact based and easy.
Second passage was on musical instruments- it was also easy. Third one was a bit tough- you will find it easy i feel if you read psychology, religion, arts, personality, sports psychology etc. For me, 3rd passage was on Child development. It was interesting but it took me more time to find answers.

So I would really recommend you to budget the time as i have mentioned above ( 16-20-24) during the IELTS Reading exam. It would really help you. Dont divide the time in 20-20-20 slots in reading.

3. Make sure you read all the instructions very carefully. If you have been asked to write TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN, do not commit mistake of writing T or F or NG - this is wrong. Same with YES/NO type of questions. Do not write Y/N. Write what is asked. Also make sure you do not answer TRUE/FALSE for a YES/ NO question and vice versa. Such an answer will be considered wrong and fetch no marks. This is very important in IELTS Reading test.

4. Focus on dates/names/figures in IELTS Reading. It helps. I used this in Olympic torch essay that had come. There were many years specified in the passage like 1956, 1962, 1992 etc. So when you are answering questions, you can directly locate these figures in passage and you will save time. You need not completely understand what the passage said when it mentioned something in 1956. You can come back to passage after reading the figure 1956 in the question.

I hope these tips would help you in your preparation for IELTS Reading. In the next part, i would focus on writing skills for IELTS. I would write about how you can become a better writer and write in a professional, structured and cohesive way. The flow of ideas while writing is most important and I would focus on these aspects in my next post on 'writing for IELTS'.

I hope you enjoyed the IELTS Reading post as much as i enjoyed writing it !! If you enjoy reading my articles, do subscribe to my blog so that you can get the article delivered in your mailbox whenever i would publish them.

How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening)

How to get good score in IELTS in 10 days - Part 1 (Listening)

This is part 1 of the article.
There are 4 sections in IELTS: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
In this post, I will focus on listening skills that you can enhance in a couple of days for IELTS.

Here are my test results. I took IELTS on 30/31 May 2009.

Candidate Id : 2976
Listening : 8.5
Reading : 8.5
Writing : 8
Speaking : 7.5
Overall Band : 8

For those who are not aware of what these scores are, here is a brief overview:
9 - Expert User
8 - Very Good User
7 - Good User
6 - Competent User
5 - Modest User
4 - Limited User
3 - Extremely Limited User
2 - Intermittent User
1 - Non User

Listening Skills: This is my personal experience. I am sure it would be helpful for you as well.

1. Listen and see english movies and television serials( on youtube, if you dont have a television). I used to do search on youtube to check television programs in UK and this helped me become familiar with the UK accent. Indeed this helped me in improving my listening skills. This would also help you in Speaking section.

2. When you register for IELTS, you will get a book and 2 CDs for free. Do all the 4 listening tests in the book. It will really be very helpful. In my first test i scored just 31 out of 40, but in my last test i scored 37 out of 40. After that i took my 1st test again and this time i scored 36/40 in listening. So i can guarantee you that taking these tests will really help you.

3. When taking the practice test for listening, you may pause it and resume it at your convenience. In actual test you cannot pause- resume the CD being played. So my advice is that once you have started the listening test, complete it and then only move to next section. So you should complete all 40 questions and see how you are performing. So the idea here is do not pause while taking listening test.

4. Write as you listen- This is the most important point in listening ability. Before you start listening, you will get some time to read the questions. Use this time properly and read the questions and understand the questions completely. When you start listening, keep marking your answers as sson as you listen it. You will not get time to write it later. Also my personal experience is that even if you get time in the end, you will not be able to remember what was played. So it's best to write it as soon as you listen.

I hope these tips would help you in your preparation. In the next part, i would focus on reading skills. All the best..

How to avoid Job Loss in a turbulent economy ?

Lehmann bankrupt ! Merill Lynch Sold out !! Is AIG next ???Since the credit crisis began last yr, the financial markets are badly hit.
Bear Sterns fall, 6 months ago, created panic in the financial sector. The impact is not just US and financial industry. The impact is world over. Since the big banks play a major role in the economy of most countries, all the countries have been badly hit.What happens in such a market is quite evident. Job losses, panic in market, gloomy scenario about the future haunts everyone.
Is there something you can do to get rid of such unexpected situations.
The answer is a big "YES" and I am here to suggest a few alternatives.

We all know that we should have a plan B ready, in case plan A fails. But how many of us really think about plan B ??

Let's suppose you were working with Lehmann or with Merill or you're working somewhere and you dont feel job security. What you possibly do is to look at various alternatives:

1. What are you really good at, except the work you do in your office. May be you're a great Cook and you always thought of running a restaurant. Whatever happens to lehman or merill, you can always be sure that your hotel/restaurant will make money becoz people wont stop eating if there's a financial meltdown !!

2. Did you always felt a desire to teach your favorite subject but never had time to do so ?Why dont you start part time tuitions in Arts, Science or history at your home ? A part from doing what you love, you'll make yourself independent of a need for a job !!

3. Well, if you still want to be in the financial domain, what about a teaching faculty position in a business school, where you can use your current banking/finance experience. I am sure even after financial markets have crashed, you ll find a plenty of teaching positions related to your experience.

4. What if you are a spanish, Italian or a Chinese living in a country whose native language is none of these languages. You may start your own Foreign Language classes ! I am sure you never even thought about this !!

These are just a few of the oppurtunities.
So guys and gals, dont feel depressed about the current financial situations in the world.
Take it positively ! Such situations make a stronger person and prepare you for unexpected possibilities ahead !

Just look around you ! You'll find thousands of oppurtunities !!

How to add google Ads within Blogger posts ?

Here are the four steps to quickly add Google ads inside your blog post.

1. Login to Google Adsense, select an ad format and Get the Ad code.

2. In the code, replace:

3. On template, click 'Expand Widgets', then select the HTML and paste it in a text file.
Now look for

4. Note that 'Adsense Code' refers to the code you got after doing step 2.

Thats it, you're done. You should see the Google Ads floating on left hand side with your content on right hand side.

How to access internet on laptop using GPRS enabled handset ?

Rightly said, "Adversity leads to oppurtunity !!"

And this fits very well in my case also. Recently I moved to an area where I couldnt get broadband internet connection. I talked to my sister and she said she knows someone who was using internet on a desktop computer using nothing but a GPRS enabled handset. I thought this sounds exciting, so why not give it a try. And guess what, I am publishing this post via my laptop which is connected to web through my GPRS enabled handset.

Now, you folks must be thinking how this works?

Here is what I did and you can do the same:

1. Get a GPRS enabled handset and get the internet connection activated on your handset.

2. Connect your mobile to your laptop using a data cable OR a bluetooth connection ( anything is fine. I am using a data cable, by the way)

3. Establish a dial up connection on your laptop/desktop computer. Now it will ask you to select a modem.Select the one which represents your handset modem. In my case, I have a SONY ERICCSON W580i handset, So I selected the same modem when I saw the options.

4. Once this is done, you can open the connection. Leave the username & Password fields blank. You need not put anything in these two fields.

5. Lastly, the dialup number- This proved challenging to me people !I was using the number *99# which didnt worked. I researched on internet and found another number *99***1# which also didnt worked for me. Lastly, I found one more number *99***2# and guess what- I was more than happy !!!I could see myself connected with internet using just my GPRS enabled mobile handset !!

Guys, believe me, it took me almost two days in this research, but it was worth it !
And guess how- Firstly I could get an internet connection, which seemed impossible initially and Secondly, Well I learned something new and which you will definitely find useful !!

So people, follow these steps and remain connected with web while moving, or while in traffic. And dont forget to ask your mobile service provider about the rates of using internet !!

How to write an interesting blog post ?

So people !! Here are 5 ways that you can use to write your Blog Post that will entice ( aah.. sounds great ) your reader's imagination and will make them peep inside the depth of your content.

1. Asking a Question :
Opening your blog post with a question creates curiosity and makes your reader thinking. Thinking leads to active engagement with your writing, thereby making your post interesting !!

2. Share some anecdote or cite a quote :
Anecdotes are quick stories that can make people laugh or immediately establish the main point of your post. A nice quote from a recognizable authority or famous person can also work wonders when holding attention in those crucial opening seconds.

3. Invoke the Mind’s Eye :
Producing a mental image in a reader’s mind is one of the most powerful things you can ever do as a writer, so expressly engaging the imagination is a powerful opening technique. Activate the mind’s eye of the reader by using words like “imagine,” “picture this,” “do you remember when,” etc.

4. Use an Analogy, Metaphor or Simile :
Analogies, metaphors and similes are some of the most powerful devices available when it comes to telling a story in a single sentence. This is a great way to capture a reader’s attention and also acts to provoke mental imagery that allows readers to tell a story to themselves.

5. Show a rocking, i mean Shocking Statistic :
Starting off with an interesting factoid is also a great technique. People love being provided with interesting data, but only if it is unique, startling, or even shocking. The statistic should also be directly relevant to the point of your post as well.

Oh ! Did i forgot to tell you the most important part of your blog post. Well its the closing. A great way to close is to tie back into your opening.

So, which of the 5 techniques did I NOT use in the opening to this post and What do you think you can do to make an interesting post ??

How to cut onions while Smiling ?

I know this topic definitely excites you !!
After all, who would like to always keep filling buckets with Tears while cutting Onions !!!

People, i have found a way, using which you can cut onions- without tears - infact while Smiling !!!

So here is the concept:
Take some water in a big Bowl and cut the onions inside the bowl

How this Works ?
when you cut the onions inside a bowl fillied with Water, the water absorbs the Sulphurdioxide gas released from Onions.. And thus the water layer avoids contact of this gas from your delicate eyes..

Ok, enough said !! Still you dont believe ?
Watch my video where i demonstrate this method...



I hope from now onwards, you will enjoy and smile while cutting Onions !!! Good Luck !!

How to write a Guest Post on this blog ?

Hey People !

I invite you to write Guest Posts for me.
Here are some rules for writing a guest post.

1. The post should not be published anywhere else. That is it should be an entirely new and original piece of article.

2. Length of the post should be around 300 - 400 words.

What you get ?

You will get a link back to your site/blog. So if your name is 'AAA BBB' and your site is 'http://aaabbb.com' then the post will look somthing like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------------


Guest post by 'AAA BBB' of 'http://aaabbb.com/'

**Content of your post**

Note: A 'How to' kind of post is preferred as you can see in Quick Links on this blog.
OR, if you have a unique/ lifetime experience, that would be preferred.

I will read each and every post send to me and if your post is approved, I will send you a mail as soon as I publish it.


How to send your Guest post?
You can send me an email at onlinearora@gmail.com using following subject line:

Subject: Guest Post: **title of your post**

Thanks and regards,
Ankit

How to go Skiing ?

Hi Guys !!!

Did you ever thought of going Skiing ??
Does the thought of Skiing makes you nervous ?

Do you feel it takes a lot of Guts to learn Skiing ?

If your answer to any of these question is 'Yes' then I can help you in reversing your answer to a big 'NO'

I went for Skiing at Blue Mountains ( around 2 hours journey from Brampton, Canada ) on 15 Dec 2007 along with my relatives.

Precautions:
If you are in a group of 5-6, its great !! You never know when you need help !! So make sure you are not going alone.

How to get started ?
Simple !! just wear you Skii, your Gloves and make sure you have a good cap. You are ready for a big adventure !!!

How to Balance ?
If you know rollerblades, or ice skating- then balancing is not a big issue for you !!
Now if you dont know balancing also, well enjoy falling guys- no one can learn anything without falling !!
Just take care that you are not speeding up too much !!

How to Stop ?
There are two ways to stop that i generally use:
1. Spread your legs as much as u can, and bring your toes inside !! This really works for beginners !!
2. Another good way is to bring your right foot at around 90 degree angle compared to left one, or vice versa.
This way you will start moving horizontally instead of moving down the hill. And finally you will stop !!



Steep Slope or Bunny Hill ?
Well, if this is your first time, stay on bunny hill itself, till you fell you can start and stop at your convinience !!
If this is your 3rd or 4th time, i bet you wont even think about bunny hill !! For you its a child's play for sure !!


What i think i missed and would like to carry with me next time ?
I feel Goggles meant for skiing would have been very useful. Also if you already know Skiing and want to try a difficult slope, then wearing a Helmet is not a bad idea !!

Enjoy Skiing as and when you get a chance !!
For those of you who are still scared, well take my example Guys, I broke a pole on my first day of skiing and went into a Fence - i couldnt stop it !!
This is what my relatives said after i went into a fence ( as i couldnt stop while coming down hill )
"Hey Ankit, We just missed to shoot a really funny video man !! "

So People, Enjoy Skiing- you will fall in love with it !!

Thanks for reading and if you like reading my blog, please subscribe to it..

How to Moonwalk ?

Moonwalk - Whats that ?

I am talking about going on Moon and having a walk - No Way !!!!
Well MoonWalk is a kind of breakdance, which make the viewers believe as though you are walking in air without maintaining much contact with the Floor !!

I was watching some videos on youtube about Breakdance and thought- well this Moonwalk is something which seems quite easy and tried my hands on it..

Here is my 1 min video.. where i am practising it..




I dont feel that i can do it very well though, but i can bet - if you practice it 2-3 days, you can surely do it !!!

So people, if you feel you want to learn a different dance, and that too without spending too much time and Energy, then go for MoonWalk !!

Believe me, you will enjoy learning it !!!

How to go Kayaking ?

Kayaking is a real fun !!
I really enjoyed kayaking at Toronto Islands with my friends.

Though it was scary initially, but we quickly learned the ropes and found kayaking extremely adventorous !!

Its really very easy and a very adventorous activity !!

Along with my friends, i enjoyed it for 2 hours at Toronto Islands and i can say without doubt that you can learn it in two hours !!

The next time i did kayaking was at Mount Tremblant which is around 8-9 hours journey from Toronto.


And this time, I was much more comfortable and kayaking was really more enjoyable the second time !!

Here is a small clip that my friend Giri took while i was coming towards the shore:

Thanks Giri for the Clip !!

Since I am not a pro, but a beginner in Kayaking, so If you are a beginner like me, you may have a look at this video: How to Paddle a Kayak and Not Fall Out !! It discusses three simple steps for Beginners..

So Enjoy Kayaking !! And dont forget to wear your safety belt - atleast it boosts your confidence !!!

How to Speak Spanish ?

Hola y bienvenidos ( Hello and Welcome )
I have been taking out some time on regular basis and now feel quite comfortable in this new language - Spanish.
I have learned the basics of Spanish and in this post, well I will not teach you how to speak Spanish as there
are a couple of sites doing the same thing.

Well i will focus on how spanish may help you..

1. For business purpose, lets suppose you get a chance to go spain or to Mexico sometime, well then if you know spanish ( Español ), it will certainly be very helpful.

2. Well learning any foreign language is a boost to your personal and professional skills - and there is no doubt about it !!


3. Hey, if you like a spanish speaking gal or guy, then if you speak spanish, well you may have a good chance. After all if you go for a date with a spanish, well you must know some spanish !!!

4. Well if you want to learn Spanish now. And that too for FREE, then you can look into Youtube videos, just search for 'learn Spanish' and you can learn spanish for FREE !!!

5. Hey did I told you that if you wish you can translate this entire site in Spanish, just by clicking the Spanish Flag on right side using Google Translate.

6. Well Rocket Spanish !! is World famous for their Spanish Courses. You may check their site as well.

So what are you waiting for..

Permite aprender español !!! ( By the way that means - Lets Learn Spanish !! )

Español es muy fácil - Spanish is very easy !!!

How to Kill your Fear

Well, this may sound quite philosophical but this is my personal experience. Let me tell you about how i got rid of my fear of public speaking.

I was in my 1st year of my college (bachelors, back in 2001) and till that time i had never ever faced any stage appearance. I never thought about public speaking and was quite shy to appear on stage throughout my School life.

But i always realised that this is something that i need to change.

So in my 1st yr of college, i saw a notice on our hostel notice board in Pantnagar university: "Debate on: Ragging - Should it be or Shouldn't it be"

I thought that this may be the right time to do something that i was always afraid of !!

I registered for the debate and prepared 2 pages to speak on the debate day.

The day finally came and i was in an auditorium sitting in Audience and there were around 300 people there.

Participants were coming on stage, speaking their part, the debate was getting hot..I was getting too tensed by realising that i cannot do this. It is just impossible for me to go on stage and speak in-front of 300 people!

I told my friend (Upendra Maurya - who also came with me and was from Agriculture branch in our college) that I am leaving from auditorium and I cannot speak on stage facing an audience. I was just too scared!

He said something which touched me, "Ankit, if you cannot speak now, you probably will never in future!"

And somehow i managed to stay there. My name was called and I had to go on stage.

My first public appearance was about to start !!! Believe me - that day I felt like dying is easier than facing a huge crowd !

Well, I was shaking ,shivering and was too nervous, but I was on stage!
And then, I could see 300 people. I had a piece of paper in my hand. I was looking at audience and was reading whatever i had written on the paper. I was shivering so much, but i managed to complete whatever I thought I had to say.

I was there for just 1.5 minutes, but that was really something that seemed horrible to me.

There was some applause when i finished. My friend was happy that i could go on stage.

And thats how I managed to kill my stage fear, it was my first public speaking experience, and i will never forget it. And then there was no looking back. Whenever i got any chance, anywhere, i used to go for it.

In my 4th year in college, i participated in a debate where i was awarded the 3rd prize.

So the moral of the story is:"Do what you fear most, and the death of fear is certain"

Whatever you feel you have been thinking throughout your life but you never did even though you had oppurtunity, do it. Believe me, you will feel that its a boost to your self esteem.

So, Kill your FEAR before it kills you !!!