Traps to Avoid in IELTS Listening (Part 3)

 

Image courtesy of Fe Ilya via Flickr (CC 2.0)

 

So far in this series, we’ve looked at some ways in which test takers make mistakes in IELTS listening: losing concentration when distractors are used, spelling words wrongly, looking for instances of word match, and not understanding different ways of referring to time.

Here are two more ways in which you could lose marks:

 

Word limit

All questions in the listening part come with clear instructions. While some questions require the test takers to choose answers from a list of options, others contain blanks that need to be filled in. When filling in blanks, you need to be cautious not to exceed the word limit. If not, your answer will be marked incorrect.

 

In IELTS, even small words such as articles (a, an, the) and pronouns (I, we, you, he, she, it) are counted as individual lexical items. So, if you don’t keep track of the number of words you enter as answer, you’ll certainly lose marks in perhaps the silliest of ways.

 

Example

Question Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.   35. During such rituals, the tribal chief used to wear a __________   36. _________ offerings were often made to the gods.

 

In this example, the task clearly instructs test takers to complete each sentence using no more than two words. Let’s assume the answer to question 35 is silk jacket. If you happen to rephrase this as jacket made of silk, your answer will obviously be marked wrong, as it has four words.

 

Transferring answers

Listening is the only part of IELTS where test takers receive extra time to transfer answers. This is because they are asked to jot down answers to all 40 questions on the question booklet itself as they listen.

 

The extra 10 minutes is for candidates to write answers legibly and sequentially (entered in boxes 1 to 40). Of course, answers that are out of sequence will be marked wrong.

 

Remember, while these tips may sound simple enough, it takes a bit of practice to get them right.

 

 

GLOSSARY

 

blank
Form	:	noun
Meaning	:	an empty space
Example	:	Please fill in the blanks using words from the reading passage.

 

jot down
Form	:	phrasal verb
Meaning	:	to write something
Example	:	Give me a second, Sam. Let me find a notepad to jot down the address.

 

legibly
Form	:	adverb
Meaning	:	(written or printed) in a way that can be understood easily
Example	:	Please fill in the application form legibly