Must Know Word Roots for TOEFL / IELTS

ROOT
MEANING
EXAMPLES

ac, acr sour, sharp acute, acrid, acumen, acrimonious aero air aerodynamics, aerodyne, aerosol ag, act do, drive, move, impel agile, agent, act, agenda, reaction agr field agriculture, agrarian, agronomy alb white albino, albinism, albedo ali other alien, alibi, alias alt high altitude, altimeter, alto alter other, change alter, alternate, alternant ambul walk ambulatory, ambulant amic, am love, friend amity, amatory, amicable ampli large ampliation, ample, amplification anim mind, soul, spirit animate, animosity, magnanimity ani, enni year annals, anniversary, perennial apt, ept adjust, fit adapt, aptitude, inept api bee apiary, apian, apiarist aqu water aquatic, aquarium, aqueduct arm arm, weapon army, disarming, armory, armament art skill, craft, art artisan, artful, artificial aud, audit hear audible, audience, auditorium aug increase augment, augmentative aur gold aureate, aureole, auriferious avi bird aviary, aviatrix, aviculture bel, bell war bellicose, belligerent, rebel bene, ben well, good benefit, benefactor, benediction brev short, brief brevity, abbreviate, abridge bull boil ebullient, ebullition cand white, glowing incandescent, candle, candent cant sing cantation, cantata, cantilate cap, capt, cept, cip take capable, capacity, captious, reception, anticipate capit head capital, decapitate, per capita carn meat, flesh incarnate, carnal, carnivorous ced, ceed, cess move, yield, go recede, proceed, concession cent hundred century, centennial, centipede cern, cert perceive, separate, decide discern, ascertain, certify cid, dis cut, kill incision, homocide, fratricide cit summon, impel excite, citation, incite civ citizen, city civilian, civic, civilize, civility clam, claim shout, cry clamor, proclaim, exclamation clar clear clarify, clarity, clarinet, declare clin bend, lean decline, declension, inclination clud, clus, clau, clos shut, close conclude, closet, occlude, exclusion, claustrophobia cogn know, be acquainted incognito, recognize, cognizant commun common community, communion, communication copi, op abundance, wealth copious, opulent cord heart cordial, discord, accord, concord corn horn, point cornucopia, cornea, corniculate corp body corpuscle, corporation, corpulent cred belief, trust credible, credulous, credit cresc, cret rise, grow crescent, concrete, accretion cruc cross crucifixion, crucifer, cruciform culp fault, blame culpable, culprit, exculpate cupr copper cupreous, cuprous, cupric cur care, care for accurate, security, curator cur, curr, curs run, cours curriculum, concur, recurrent dec ten decimal, decimate, decennial dent tooth dentist, denture, indent dict say, speak, word diction, contradict, abdicate digit finger digitate, digitigrade, digital dign worth, worthy dignify, indignity, condign doc, doct teach, prove docile, doctrine, indoctrinate domin master dominate, domain, predominant dorm sleep dormant, dormitory, dormer du two duel, duet, duplicate duc, duct lead adduce, seduce, abduct, education dur hard, lasting durable, objurate, duration ego I, self egotist, egoist, egocentric equi, equ equal equality, equity, equinox err wander errata, erratic, aberration ev time, age medieval, longevity, primeval fabul story fable, fabulous, fabliau fac, fact, fec, fic do, make, put facile, facsimile, calefacient, defect, efficacious, factotem fer bear, yield, carry confer, defer, offer, fertile ferv boil, bubble fervor, perfervid, effervescent fid belief, faith fidelity, perfidious, infidel fin end, limit final, infinite, definitive firm strong, steadfast confirm, firmament, infirmary, affirm flor flower floral, florid, florescence, flourish flext, flex bend, twist flexible, circumflex, genuflect flu, fluct flow influence, flux, superfluous foli leaf foliate, foliage, foliaceous form form, shape conform, uniform, reformation fort strong fortify, fortitude, effort, force frag, fract break fragile, fragment, fraction, refract frat brother fraternity, fraternize, fratricide fund, fus pour, melt transfuse, suffuse, refund, foundry gest, ger carry, produce gestation, gesture, ingest, gerund grad, gress take steps, step, go, walk digress, gradient, aggression, egress, degrade, ingredient grat please, favor, thankful gratitude, gratuity, congratulate grav weigh, heavy gravity, gravitation, aggravate grex, greg flock, herd congregate, gregarious, egregious her, hes cling, stick adhere, coherence, adhesion herb grass herbivorous, herbalist, herbicide horr shudder at horrendous, horror, abhorrent hum be moist humidify, humidity, humidor ig fire igneous, ignite, ignescent irid, irido rainbow, iris of eye irridescence, iridic, iridectomy it go, travel exit, transit, circuit, itinerarv jac, ject throw, hurl, cast ejaculate, eject, rejection jud judge judicious, adjudicate, prejudice junct join juncture, disjunctive, adjunct jur swear conjure, abjure, perjury labor work laboratory, elaborate, laborious lact milk lactescent, lactiferous, lacteal langu feel weak languor, languish, languid latus wide, side latitudinarian, equilateral, latitude laud praise laudable, applaud, laudation leg law legislate, illegal, illegitimate leg, lig, lect gather, choose, read legible, eligible, lectern, college lev, leger light, rise levitation, elevate, levity lingu tongue, language linguist, lingulate, bilingual liter letter literal, alliterate, illiterate loc place locus, locale, allocate, location locu, loqu talk, speech colloquial, obloquy, location luc light transluscent, lucid, elucidate luna moon lunar, paralun, lunate, lunatic magn great, large magnitude, magnanimous, magnate mal bad malady, malevolent, malediction man, manu hand manacle, manicure, manual mar sea marine, maritime, submarine mater, matr mother maternity, matricide, matriarchy medi middle mediocre, mediate, medieval

memor memory memorial, remember, memorable merg, mers dip, plunge submerge, emergent, immersion meso middle mesomorph, mesosphere, mesozoic migr depart migratory, immigration, emigrant min less, little minus, minimize, minority mit, miss send admit, omit, missile, emissary mob, mo, mot, mov move mobile, remote, move, motor mon, monit warn admonish, monitor, monish monstr show demonstrate, remonstrate, monstrate mont mountain mount, amount, dismount mor, mort die, death moribund, mortuary, immortal multi many multitude, multiple, multifarious mur wall mural, immure mut, mutat change immutable, transmute, mutation natur nature natural, native, naturopathy nav ship, sail naval, navigate, circumnavigate neg deny negate, renege, negative nomen, nomin name nomenclature, nominee, cognomen nov new novelty, innovate, renovate nox harmful noxious, obnoxious, noxiousness num marry nubial, connubial, nuptials ocul eye ocular, oculist, binocular offic duty office, officious, officer omni all omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient onus load, burden onus, onerous ora speak, pray orate, oratorio, oracular ord order disorder, ordinance, ordinary, ordain orn decorate ornate, adorn, ornament pac, pax peace pacify, Pax Romana, pacific par equal par, disparity, disparate, separate par make ready, shield prepare, repair, pare pater, patr father paternal, patrimony, patristic pecuni money percuniary, impecunious ped foot pedal, centipede, quadruped pel, puls drive, urge repel, compulsion, impulse pend, pens hand, weigh, pay expensive, pension, suspend, pendant pet seek, ask, strive for competitor, petulant, petition petr rock petrified, petrography, petroglyph pisci fish Pisces, piscary, pisciculture plan level plane, explain, explanation plen full plenty, plentitude, replenish plic, pli, ply fold, bend duplicity, replica, imply plumb lead(metal) plumbiferous, plumb, plumbeous pomi apple, fruit pomander, pomade, pommel pon, pos place, put postpone, proponent, deposit port carry porter, export, portable, comportment popul people popular, populous, population pot power impotent, omnipotent, potentiality prehend,prehens seize prehensile, apprehend, comprehension press press, force press, pressure, oppress, expression prim first primer, primitive, primeval prob good probation, opprobrium, prove propr one's own, fitting property, probity, proper quir, quis ask, seek inquire, inquistion, requisition quasi somewhat, seemingly quaisjudical, quasi, quasipublic radi ray radiant, radial, irradiate reg straighten, rule regiment, regal, interregnum, regicide rid, ris laugh ridiculous, deride, derision rog ask interrogate, rogation, derogative rupt break rupture, abrupt, interrrupt salv safe salvation, salvage, salvo sanct holy sanction, sanctuary, sanctimonious sang blood sanguine, consanguinity, sanguinary sci know science, conscious, prescient scrib, script write inscribe, transcribe, scriptures sed, sid, sess, sej sit, seat sedentary, supersede, sejant, sessile, session, assiduous seg, sect cut segment, sector, dissect semin seed seminal, seminiferous, disseminate sen old senior, senile, senescence, senate sens, sent feel sensory, sensuous, sentimental, sentient seq, secut, sue follow sequel, consequence, ensue, persecute serv keep, save, serve conserve, preserve, service, servant silv forest sylvan, silva, silviculture simil like similar, similitude, assimilate sist stand insist, persistence, desist sol, soli alone solitude, solitaire, desolate solid compact solid, consolidate, solder solv, solu, solut loosen, free solvent, soluble, absolute somni sleep somnambulate, somniferous, somnific son sound unison, resonance, dissonance spec, spic, spect look, see specimen, despicable, circumspect spir breathe aspire, perspiration, spirit sta stand, firm stable, establish, station, status string, strict bind tight stringent, restrict, stricture stru, struct build structure, construe, destruction suad, suas advise persuade, dissuade, suasion sud sweat sudorific, sudatorium, sudatory sum, sumpt take, spend, take consumption, presume, assume tang, ting, tig, tact touch tangible, tactile, contingent, contiguous, contact tempor time contemporary, temporal, extemporaneous teg, tect cover integument, protect, tegular ten, tin, tent hold tenure, retentive, continence tend, tens, tent stretch distend, tendency, pretense tenu thin tenuous, attenuate, extenuate terr, ter land terrestrial, subterranean, disinter test witness testify, testimony, testament torp numb torpid, torpor, torpedo tort, tors twist distort, contortion, torsion tract, tra draw, pull, drag traction, distract, train trib assign attribute, distribute, contribute trud, trus thrust intrusion, protrude, abstruse turb agitate turbid, turbulence, disturbance turg swell turgid, turgescent, turgor umbr shade umbrella, adumbrate, penumbra und wave undulant, inundate, abundant uni one unity, uniform, unison urb city urbanity, suburban, urbane vac empty vacant, vacuous, evacuate vad, vas go pervade, evasion, pervasive ven, vent come, go intervene, convene, event, prevent ver true verily, veracity, verisimilitude verb word verbal, verbose, verbiage verm worm vermicular, vermiculate vert, vers turn aversion, inadvertent, convent vest dress vesture, divest, vestment vid, vis see visual, evident, supervisor vinc, vict conquer convince, victor, invincible, evict vit, viv life, lively vitality, vitamin, vivid voc, vok call vocation, invoke, advocate vol wish volition, volunteer, malevolent volv, volu, volut roll, turn evolve, devolve, evolution, convolution vulg common vulgar, vulgate, divulge

Changes to IELTS Writing rubrics from January 2006

From Januar y 2006 there are a number of changes to the IELTS Writing rubrics. These changes are introduced in order to further clarify what candidates are expected to write. The changes are outlined below.


Click Here To See

IELTS launches online search tool

MUSCAT — More than half-a-million international students can now see where their IELTS test score can take them around the world. This is following the launch of an exciting new tool by the IELTS partnership of British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge ESOL. Called the Global Recognition System (GRS) this search tool helps candidates to find out where their IELTS test band score results can be used, it is interactive and is available for free on the internet for candidates.

The new tool is located on the popular IELTS global website at www.ielts.org. The site is the main reference location for the more than half a million candidates that take IELTS tests each year. The search function allows a candidate to type in a particular institution (educational, professional and even government agencies) and find out what IELTS requirements that institution has for their individual faculties or as an overall band score for their institution. Searches can be tailored to select a country, a region, an institution, a group of institutions such as colleges, universities and so on. The search results will list the band scores for all elements of the search. For candidates this is ideal for finding out what band score is required for their desired course or university. If the candidate already has their band score then the search function allows a candidate to enter their band score and where they want to study and it will list all of the options open to them.

This is a wonderful tool designed to help candidates gain a better understanding of where they can use their band score. Added to the new search tool is a section devoted to band score requirements for professional bodies and for government agencies such as immigration for Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The GRS search tool means that organisations will be able to review their details, and also send through updates/amendments through to IELTS quickly and easily. “This is a great online search tool for all our IELTS candidates. At the click of a button they can immediately see where their IELTS band score might take them. It’s really going to help our candidates plan ahead and will also raise their awareness of all the options open to them,” explains Sonya Storey-Webb, British Council Oman exams manager

Frequently asked questions- IELTS

IELTS test users often have specific questions about how IELTS is designed or the way it works; answers to the most commonly asked questions can be found in the current IELTS Handbook and on the IELTS website www.ielts.org/candidates/faq. Here are some additional questions which are sometimes raised by teachers, researchers and other test users.

Why does an IELTS Test Report Form have a recommended 2-year validity period?
Why can’t the IELTS modules be taken as separate tests?
In what ways can the IELTS test be described as ‘integrated’?
Why isn’t there a link between the Reading and Writing modules?
Why aren’t the IELTS Academic Reading and Writing tasks more like university-level tasks?
Is IELTS culturally biased?
Why aren’t Speaking and Writing scores reported using half bands, like Reading and Listening?
Is there a risk of gender bias in the IELTS Speaking Test?
Is IELTS suitable for younger students below the age of 18?
How well does IELTS predict academic success?
On the IELTS test application form candidates are obliged to give personal information not directly relevant to taking the exam. Why is this compulsory?
Why do scores sometimes go down when retaking IELTS?
Is IELTS Reading speeded?
References and further reading

New Policy 90 Day Re-Take Rule- IELTS Breaking NEWS

From 1 May 2006 the policy on candidates re-taking IELTS will be amended. The restriction on re-taking IELTS within 90 days will be removed and candidates will be able to repeat the test whenever they wish. The current restriction on repeating the test within 90 days at any centre will remain in place for all candidates until the end of April 2006. All candidates from 1 May will be able to repeat at the next available test, regardless of the date of their previous test.
IELTS is now used by a range of receiving organisations across the world and many of them require candidates to demonstrate adequate performance overall as well as by individual skill. It is possible for candidates to attain their required overall band score but fail to achieve a specific module score in a particular skill area. As a result they are required to re-take the test but have to wait 90 days and this can result in hardship and distress. It is in the nature of tests that scores on individual components may vary to some extent from occasion to occasion and a candidate may be able to make limited improvements in their performance when repeating the test. In consideration of this the decision was made to remove the re-take restrictions.

It should be noted however that IELTS scores are not substantially improved merely by taking the test on multiple occasions. To significantly improve a score it is necessary to engage in further study of a serious nature. Gain score studies carried out under the IELTS funded research programme indicate that scores are unlikely to improve dramatically without extensive English language tuition in the interim.Candidates will still be asked to indicate on their application form whether they have taken the test before. This information will appear on the Test Report Form and will only be used for monitoring purposes.

Dealing with Exam Anxiety !

Provided by petersons.com

Once you've registered to take your exam and you've decided how you're going to study for it, you can turn your attention to the actual test situation. Ask yourself three questions: How do I really feel about taking tests? Am I generally relaxed and efficient? Am I nervous in a test situation, so nervous that I waste time with instructions, get confused by questions, or fixate on getting the answer to every one, unable to move on until I do? What special skills will I need to work on in order to improve my test performance?

Recently, a group of students spoke candidly with Peterson's about their first reactions to standardized tests:
"When it comes to tests, I'm the kind of person who gets hypnotized by the clock. I watch the minutes tick away and become more and more tense until I can't work anymore. Consequently I never finish tests on time and always leave them with a sense of deep frustration."

"It's funny; I always worked hard and performed pretty well in my high school classes and on the tests we had every week in class. But I've never been able to transfer that success over to standardized tests. I just wish I didn't have to be judged by how well I do on tests, and that people would just accept me for who I am."

"In test situations I just can't focus on the test! I keep thinking of how much fun I am going to have next Saturday afternoon when I get together with my friends."

If you have a hard time focusing when you go into a test, remember how you overcame other challenges in your life, like your first dive into the local swimming pool. You talked to yourself, right? Do this again, and persuade yourself to look at the questions in a relaxed and thoughtful manner. If the clock intimidates you, then practice with your software or test-preparation book, using a kitchen timer. When the timer rings, reset it and move on to the next question no matter what. You will get used to thinking more efficiently and quickly. If difficult questions make you panic, then the appropriate strategy would be to skip the difficult questions. On most standardized tests, some of the responses will be more difficult than others, and each response counts the same. Think of the fact that if you correctly skip the few difficult questions on the test and get all the others right, you are going to do very well. If you have difficulty with a question and pass it by, you can always look at it again later if there is time. Faced with four or five multiple-choice responses to a question you understand, eliminate the one or two obvious wrong answers, then select the response that best answers the question. If you are still puzzled, do not respond to the question at all. Remember not to read too much into a question. Take the test questions at face value. The test makers are not out to trick you, believe it or not.

A Group Approach to Test Anxiety
Sometimes counseling centers will offer group sessions devoted to alleviating test anxiety. The first step requires that all members of the group share their test-taking experiences, and these experiences are condensed and put in the left-hand column on a chalkboard. The group then brainstorms about ways in which each anxiety might be reduced or eliminated. These responses are recorded in a middle column on the board beside the anxiety they are meant to cure. Next, the group conducts a rehearsal of the test situation itself. This exercise enables students to identify how they react in a test situation. The counselor takes notes on how each student acts as he or she is taking the test. For example, he might write in his notebook: "Dave appeared stone-faced and stared into outer space a lot." Or, "Joan bit her nails and her pencil unmercifully." Or, "Tom kept crossing and uncrossing his legs and then scrunched up in the chair, and he kept looking at the clock." When the exercise is over, the counselor reads his comments as he writes them in the third column on the board. The group discusses the chart they have produced on the board and makes recommendations about the behavior of each member. The counselor enters that recommendation in the fourth and final column on the board. For Dave, the conclusion might be, "Dave should relax and not lift his head and be distracted from his paper. He should focus on head and neck relaxation techniques." For Joan, "She should keep her hands as still as possible and chew gum so that she does not poison herself chewing her lead-filled pencils." For Tom, the comment is, "He should sit in a more relaxed and upright position and look at the clock only when he has come to the end of a section."

Simple Relaxation Exercises
Once students have identified their particular counterproductive behavior in an exam situation, they will want to think seriously about going through a brief relaxation exercise before taking the test. John Emery of the Human Resources Institute in California has suggested the following muscle-relaxing exercises for people approaching anxious moments in their lives:

Settle back in your chair and relax. Take a few deep breaths and begin to let yourself go.
Now extend both arms straight out and clench your fists more and more tightly as you count slowly to five. Then relax and let your arms drop. Concentrate on the differences you perceive between the tension phase and the relaxation phase.Focus on your forearms. Extend your arms as above, and push out on a slow five count as before. Relax again. Do the same for your biceps, flexing your arms toward your body and then relaxing after 5 seconds. Concentrate on your forehead. Wrinkle your brow hard on a five count. Relax. Close your eyes tightly as you count to five. Then relax slowly.Do the same for your neck and shoulders, sitting up rigidly, then relaxing. For each exercise, conclude by contemplating the difference between the tense feeling and the relaxed feeling that follows it.Do the same for your stomach muscles. Then let them relax and try to spread this relaxation throughout your entire body. Now move to your thighs. Straighten out your legs and turn your toes up toward your face on a five count and relax.Relax your calf muscles in a similar way, turning your toes away and down as hard as you can as you count to five. Then relax again. Repeat the exercise, turning your toes up this time. Finally, in a relaxed position, close your eyes and review your exercises, trying to spread that relaxed feeling outward from each particular muscle group throughout your whole body.

Rewarding Yourself for "Good Behavior"
Test anxiety can also be handled by inventing a simple game called "Rewarding Yourself for Good Behavior." Dave, who blanks out and stares into outer space during tests, might promise himself a solid 10-minute break after taking a mock test, if-and only if-he does not look up and blank out while taking the practice test.Joan might reward herself by having something fun to eat, like an ice cream sundae, if-and only if-she is able to abstain from chewing her pencil while taking a practice test. Tom could decide to limit his clock watching to two time checks per test session and reinforce this behavior by promising to buy himself a shirt he recently admired in a shop downtown, if-and only if-he succeeds in controlling his behavior on the practice test.Whatever strategy you use, the important idea to bear in mind is rewarding good behavior and punishing the undesirable behavior. Make sure the reward and punishment system is reasonable for you. The more it is, the better it will work to reduce your anxiety.

IELTS LIST- sample writing questions

The following is a list of IELTS sample writing questions for you to try out. Some of them also include Academic and General Training questions.


1、Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons
2、It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and examples in your answer.
3、Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents’generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
4、Some people pay money for the things they want or need. Other people trade products or goods for what they need. Compare the advantages of these two ways of obtaining things. Which way do you prefer? Explain why.
5、Imagine that you have received some land to use as you wish. How would you use this land? Use specific details to explain your answer.
6、Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
7. You want to persuade someone to study your native language. What reasons would you give? Support your answer with specific details.
8. You have been asked to suggest improvements to a park that you have visited. This might be a city park, a regional park, or a national park. What improvements would you make? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your recommendations.
9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
10. Films can tell us a lot about the country in which they were made. What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific examples and details to support your response.
11. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Give reasons to support your answer.
12. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Give reasons to support your answer.
13. If you could invent something new. what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention in needed.
14. It has been said." Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important?why?
15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
16. Because of developments in communication and transportation，countries are becoming more and more alike. How is your country becoming more similar to other places in the world? Use specific examples and details support your answer.
17. If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific example to support your answer.
18. People attend colleges or universities for many different reasons( for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). why do you think people attend colleges? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
19. In general. people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and detail to develop your essay.
20. Over past 50 years, young people gain status and power but old people have lost. What is the cause and is it a good development or bad development?
21. You and your family are living in a rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied because there are something wrong with the furniture. So write a letter to the landlord and ask how to resole the problem.
22. Young people are exposed to a great amount of information such as film, book, Internet. In what ways they give bad influence on young people and explain the reason, how to reduce the bad influence with examples.
23. (A) Do you think government should subsidizes the musicians, artists, actors or drama companies, do u agree or disagree, what should government do?(G) People doing different kinds of work enjoy different amount of holiday time. Should people have the same amount of leisure time? Give your opinion using some of your own experience.
24. (A) Some people believe that a country should have the moral obligation to help the other country and some of the people think that exist the misspending of the government and the aid money can not be got by the poor. What is your opinion?(G) Some people think that children’s lives will be different from their own. Whit is your opinion? Explain the reasons by your experience and examples.
25. (A) Some people think that machine translation is highly developed in today’s society, therefore it is not necessary for children to learn a foreign language. What’s your opinion?(G) Today some person has to work away from his family, what is the advantages and disadvantages? Give your opinion and some explains of your experience.
26. (A) Someone say the age of book is past, the info will be presented by some multimedia tools such as video, computer, television and film , others think the book and the written words will be necessary for spread info & complete education. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.(G) The culture of different countries are becoming similar so there is no pint for people to go traveling abroad for they could have same experience at home agree or disagree.
27. Parent should limit children time of watching TV and playing computer game, others Insister children spend reading books, agree or disagree?
28. Traveling abroad work for period of months or years, advantages or disadvantages to people and country
29. Do you think people do different jobs they should have different time holiday are you agree or disagree , give your reason an explain.30. Some people said should not encourage sport at school because it will cause competition rather than co-operation. to what extend you agree with it?

IELTS LIST- sample writing questions

The following is a list of IELTS sample writing questions for you to try out. Some of them also include Academic and General Training questions.


1、Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons
2、It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and examples in your answer.
3、Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents’generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
4、Some people pay money for the things they want or need. Other people trade products or goods for what they need. Compare the advantages of these two ways of obtaining things. Which way do you prefer? Explain why.
5、Imagine that you have received some land to use as you wish. How would you use this land? Use specific details to explain your answer.
6、Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
7. You want to persuade someone to study your native language. What reasons would you give? Support your answer with specific details.
8. You have been asked to suggest improvements to a park that you have visited. This might be a city park, a regional park, or a national park. What improvements would you make? Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your recommendations.
9. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
10. Films can tell us a lot about the country in which they were made. What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific examples and details to support your response.
11. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Give reasons to support your answer.
12. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Give reasons to support your answer.
13. If you could invent something new. what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention in needed.
14. It has been said." Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important?why?
15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
16. Because of developments in communication and transportation，countries are becoming more and more alike. How is your country becoming more similar to other places in the world? Use specific examples and details support your answer.
17. If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific example to support your answer.
18. People attend colleges or universities for many different reasons( for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). why do you think people attend colleges? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
19. In general. people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and detail to develop your essay.
20. Over past 50 years, young people gain status and power but old people have lost. What is the cause and is it a good development or bad development?
21. You and your family are living in a rented accommodation in an English-speaking country. You are not satisfied because there are something wrong with the furniture. So write a letter to the landlord and ask how to resole the problem.
22. Young people are exposed to a great amount of information such as film, book, Internet. In what ways they give bad influence on young people and explain the reason, how to reduce the bad influence with examples.
23. (A) Do you think government should subsidizes the musicians, artists, actors or drama companies, do u agree or disagree, what should government do?(G) People doing different kinds of work enjoy different amount of holiday time. Should people have the same amount of leisure time? Give your opinion using some of your own experience.
24. (A) Some people believe that a country should have the moral obligation to help the other country and some of the people think that exist the misspending of the government and the aid money can not be got by the poor. What is your opinion?(G) Some people think that children’s lives will be different from their own. Whit is your opinion? Explain the reasons by your experience and examples.
25. (A) Some people think that machine translation is highly developed in today’s society, therefore it is not necessary for children to learn a foreign language. What’s your opinion?(G) Today some person has to work away from his family, what is the advantages and disadvantages? Give your opinion and some explains of your experience.
26. (A) Someone say the age of book is past, the info will be presented by some multimedia tools such as video, computer, television and film , others think the book and the written words will be necessary for spread info & complete education. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.(G) The culture of different countries are becoming similar so there is no pint for people to go traveling abroad for they could have same experience at home agree or disagree.
27. Parent should limit children time of watching TV and playing computer game, others Insister children spend reading books, agree or disagree?
28. Traveling abroad work for period of months or years, advantages or disadvantages to people and country
29. Do you think people do different jobs they should have different time holiday are you agree or disagree , give your reason an explain.30. Some people said should not encourage sport at school because it will cause competition rather than co-operation. to what extend you agree with it?

10 Tips for passing the spoken english section of IELTS and TSE

.1) Get some dummy questions and practise answers to them. Record using sound recorder on computer and hear for yourself. Do you like the way you hear, if not practise till you get the right langauge, wordings and timing

.2) Time to answers all questions within 50 secs. The last line of your answer should be conclusion, indicating that you have completed the task

.3) Adantages/disadvantages: Give one advantage /disadvantage for both and give examples to support that. If time permits then give more

.4) Graph: X-axis, Y-axis, trend, max value & min value. Dont explain each and every point. Give only the trend and finally the conclusion

.5) Picture: 1 sentence for each picture, and last sentence the moral of the story

6) Complaints: Just call any 1-800 numbers and get a free practise. Open the yellow pages and call several 1-800 numbers for carpet cleaning, lawn, appliances, credit cards, etc and speak

. 7) Use your phone to the maximum. Speak to as many customer service representatives as possible and you will know your weak points.

.8) Talk to your boss or colleague everyday and report to him what all you have accomplished on that particular day. This will help you in question

.9) Talk to your colleagues as much as you can. Practise yourself in front of a computer 1-2hrs everyday for at-least 1-2 months, use sound-recorder

.10) Practise till you are fluent with no hesitations like ahh..Uh...I think..., etc

Relax and talk. It is not a content test. It is a talk test. They are grading you to test if you can speak or not. So just speak and don't think while speaking. After you answer one question, forget about it and go on to next one.This will help you get the required scores.

Colleges dropping SAT from application requirements

By tali yahalom
June 1, 2006

As an increasing number of schools across the country are eliminating standardized tests from their application requirements, Penn -- along with the rest of the Ivy League -- is remaining faithful to a longtime major factor in the admissions process. The Scholastic Aptitude Test and its prime competitor, the American College Test, are key parts to Penn's application, and the University is in no rush to eliminate or make optional the use of either one. Currently, prospective Penn students are required to take either the SAT or the ACT, as well as two SAT subject tests.

"It is highly unlikely that any schools in the Ivy League will eliminate the SAT or make it optional in the near future," said Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson. Stetson noted that standardized tests are "very helpful," along with high school transcripts, in determining how a student will perform once he or she matriculates to college. Stetson and his colleagues are confident in using standardized tests as measuring sticks for their rapidly growing applicant pool. But, other testing officials are less sure of the 105 year old SAT, which has been modified numerous times since its creation in 1901. "SAT scores can be affected by factors other than academic ability," said Robert Schaeffer, the Public Education Director of FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing. Admissions officials and the College Board -- the company that administers the SAT --argue that the SAT levels the playing field for applicants, since an A from one high school might not mean the same from a different one. Schaeffer, however, has a different picture in mind. "That playing field can be tilted by coaching," noted Schaeffer, who added that the test also induces test anxiety, thus poorly affecting a student's score.

Knox College in Illinois is among those colleges that have eliminated the SAT or ACT requirement for the class of 2010. "Standardized tests do not measure the qualities we value most," said Dean of Admission Paul Steenis, who pointed to the SAT's "discriminatory effects" against students who cannot afford an expensive tutor. Nine months later, the school is "very happy" with its decision, according to Theresa Jackson, Director of Financial Aid. Still, Fair Test's list of schools that do not require the SAT or ACT spans 700, but also includes a list of ones that never required either test in the first place. For example, a school like Oakland University is on FairTest's list. However, it accepts 82 percent of applicants and will consider SAT or ACT scores if submitted but does not require either test.

Despite the controversy surrounding the SAT, College Board officials are unfazed. "In eliminating standardized tests, school are losing a valuable measurement for evaluating students for admissions," said Caren Scoropanos, a spokesperson for the College Board, but she also noted that each school is still best equipped to determine its own admission policy and process. Calling the SAT an objective standard, Scoropanos added that a student's score is likely to improve over the course of a few months regardless of whether he or she pays a tutor. "Taking a high-priced practice course doesn't necessarily boost scores."