The International
English
Language
Testing
System
YouTube References:
1 (general intro)
2 (demo)
3 (how to read a pie chart,
template)
4 more …
Jeff Pan
Revised by Kate Liu
大綱
•
•
•
•
簡介與考試方法 Introduction
評分標準 Grading Criteria
問題範例 Samples：Task 1, Task 2
注意事項 Things to Note & Writing
Strategies
• 線上資源 Online Resources
簡介 (Introduction)
• IELTS 雅思(The International English Language Testing System)
國際英語測驗系統，原本是設計用來評估欲前往英語系國家求學
或工作者的英語能力，現在為世界認可的英語考試。
• 目前，有超過6,000個機構肯定IELTS雅思考試為可信賴的英語測
驗指標，也是一個能夠真實呈現考生的英語溝通能力是否已達到
能接受高等教育、移民與從事專業工作的標準。
• 除了在英國、澳洲、紐西蘭、加拿大以及歐洲的教育系統被廣泛
接受之外，美國的學校也有超過2000多所採用或是明文建議學生
在申請入學時使用
– Recognized by universities in UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US.
• IELTS雅思國際英語測驗是由英國文化協會、劍橋大學英語考試
院(Cambridge ESOL) 和澳洲國際文教中心合辦，在全球超過120
個國家、500多個考試中心提供測驗服務。
General Introduction
• IELTS is the world’s proven English test.
Over 1.2 million candidates take the test
each year to start their journeys into
international education and employment.
• IELTS is recognised by more than
6000 institutions across 120 countries.
• IELTS is owned and managed by the British
Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
• 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of IELTS
(1989 ~ present)
IELTS考試內容
測驗內容
考試分鐘數
說明
Listening 聽力測驗
30 mins 分鐘
分為四大主題約有40小題
Reading 閱讀測驗
60 mins分鐘
三篇文章，共40題。
Writing 寫作測驗
60 mins分鐘
需撰寫兩篇作文
Speaking 口試
11-14 mins分鐘
由口試主考官作一對一口試。
•對談主題非常口語化，生活化。
•內容大三部分： 1.自我介紹與一般話題交談。
2.依據提示卡做個人表述
3.較深入闡述。
•考試全程：2小時45分鐘
IELTS雅思報考組別
IELTS雅思組別分為學術組(Academic) 及 一般訓練組
(General Training) 兩組。無論選擇何種組別，都必須經
過聽力(Listening)、閱讀 (Reading)、寫作 (Writing)和口
試(Speaking)四個部份。
學術組 (ACADEMIC)
•
適用於欲申請正式課程者，如研究所、大學、專科或學校要求此組別之成績。
目前美國、英國、澳洲、紐西蘭、加拿大及歐洲等教育系統都廣泛接受。
一般訓練組 (GENERAL TRAINING)
•
•
適用於申請移民、欲前往英語系國家工作、及非學位取得為目的者。
兩個組別最大的不同在於閱讀及寫作部份會因報考組別不同而給予不同題目。
建議你在報名前，請先查詢欲申請單位之要求，再決定所報考組別。
2 Formats in IELTS
• General Training - for school, work or migration
The General Training format focuses on basic
survival skills in a broad social and educational
context. It is for those who are going to Englishspeaking countries to do secondary education, work
experience or training programs. People migrating
to Australia, Canada and New Zealand must sit the
General Training test.
• Academic - Institutions of Higher and Further
Education
The Academic format is for those who want to
study or train in an English-speaking university
or Institutions of Higher and Further Education.
Admission to undergraduate and postgraduate
courses is based on the results of the Academic
test.
Two Kinds: Academic or General Training. All candidates
IELTS Writing-General Training
• Task 1
Candidates are asked to write a personal informal, semiformal or formal letter, responding to a given problem
or situation. Input to Task 1 includes a brief
description of the problem or situation followed by 3
bullet points which tell the candidate what information
is required in the letter. Candidates must write at
least 150 words for this task.
• Task 2
The input to Task 2 consists of a statement of a point
of view, argument or problem about a specific topic.
This is followed by instructions asking candidates to
discuss the topic by providing general factual
information, outlining and/or presenting a solution,
justifying an opinion, or evaluating ideas and evidence.
Candidates are expected to produce a discursive piece of
writing. Candidates must write at least 250 words for
this task.
IELTS 寫作學術組整合表
Task 1
Task 2
20 分鐘
40 分鐘
至少 150 字
至少 250 字
寫作型式
圖表的描述和比較
申論、表達立場、解決問題
評分範圍
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
段數評分
1) 兩部分都必須完成
2) Task 2 的分數比重大於 Task 1
3) 從 0 段 到 9 段 (段數以0.5進位，例：5 段 或 6.5段)
時間
寫作長度
回答是否切題
連貫性及流暢度
詞彙使用量
文法運用範圍及其正確性
字數是否達到要求
回答是否切題
連貫性及流暢度
詞彙使用量
文法運用範圍及其正確性
字數是否達到要求
IELTS Writing-Academic
Task 1
Task 2
Timing
20 min
40 min
Writing
Length
at least 150 words
at least 250 words
a descriptive academic
report of a table or
diagram
an academic essay in
response to an opinion
or a problem
Writing
Style
Grading 1) Task Achievement
Criteria 2) Coherence and Cohesion
3) Lexical Resource
4) Grammatical Range and
Accuracy
Score
1) Both tasks are
2) Writing Task 2
Task 1
3) From band 0 to
whole bands or
1)
2)
3)
4)
Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and
Accuracy
compulsory
is worth more marks than Writing
band 9 (band scores are reported in
half bands)
評分
熟練的使用者
非常好的使用者
良好的使用者
極佳使用者，能將英語運用自如；適切，精確，流利並能完全理解.
非常良好使用者，能將英語運用自如，只是偶爾有斷續的錯誤和不
適切處，在不熟悉的狀況下可能出現誤解，可將複雜細部的論述掌
握的相當好。
良好使用者，有能力運用英語，雖然在某些情況下有時會發生不精
確、不適當和誤解，大致可將複雜的英語掌握的不錯，亦理解詳細
原委。
夠格使用者，大致能有效地運用英語，雖然有不精確、不適當和誤
解發生，能使用並理解相當複雜的英語，特別是在熟悉的情況下。
合格的使用者
評分
適中使用者
適度使用者，可部份運用英語，在大多數情況下可應付全盤的定
義， 雖然可能犯下許多錯誤，在本身領域內應可掌握基本的溝通。
有限的使用者
有限使用者，只限在熟悉的狀況下有基本的理解力，在理解與表
達上常發生問題，無法使用複雜英語。
非常有限的使用者.
困難的使用者
完全不能使用者
極有限使用者，在極熟悉的情況下，只能溝通理解一般定義。
偶爾使用者，除非在熟悉的狀況下，使用單字或簡短的片語傳答
最基本的訊息，以迎合溝通的需要，實際上不可能有真正的溝通，
在英文的說寫方面有重大的障礙 。
不能使用者，本質上無法使用英語，可能可說幾個單字，經常會
溝通不良。
IELTS 的成績
與其他英語能力測驗之比較
IELTS
TOEIC
TOEFL
TOEFL-CBT
GEPT
8.0-9.0
990
660
287
優級
7.0
810
600
250
高級
6.0
660
530
197
中高級
5.0
520
430
117
中級
4.0
380
350
63
初級
Expert user
•Has fully operational command of the language; appropriate，accurate and
fluent with complete understanding .
Very good user
•Has fully operational command of the language; with only occasional
unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies .Misunderstandings may occur
in unfamiliar situations . Handles complex detailed argumentation well.
Good user
•Has operational command of the language though with occasional inaccuracie
inappropracies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles
complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.
Competent user
•Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies，
and misunderstandings . Can use and understand fairly complex language,
particularly in familiar situations .
Modest user
•Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most
situations though is likely to make many mistakes .Should be able to handle
basic communication in own field.
Limited user
•situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression.
Is not able to use complex language.
Extremely
limited user
•Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.
Frequent breakdowns in communications occur.
Intermittent
user
•No real communication is possible except for the most basic information
using isolated words or short formulas in familiar situations and to meet
immediate needs . Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written
English.
Non user
•Essentially has ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated
words.
Task 1 (1)



Time Length: 20 minutes
Writing Length: 150 words (minimum)
Writing Goal: Interpret and describe some given
visual information (a diagram or table, etc.)
and present the information in your own words.
Table
Task 1 (2)
 4 possible types of the academic writing in task 1
1. Organise, present and possibly compare data
e.g. money people spend on different forms of
entertainment.
2. Describe stages of a procedure or process
e.g. the stages of human evolution.
3. Describe an event or series of events
e.g. How the water cycle works.
4. Explain how something works
e.g. How a car engine works.
 Reasons for penalty
–
–
–
–
The writing is less than the minimum word limit
Off-topic and irrelevant response
Plagiarism (severe penalty)
Incomplete format (e.g. bullet points, or note form etc.)
Task 1: Reading Graphs
1. Reading for -- 要練習閱讀圖表：懂得圖表
所呈現的
-- meanings of figures and icons 符號的含意
-- changes and trends, 改變趨勢
-- mean and deviation from the mean, 平均值與
上下變化
-- proportion and its meaning to the whole (and
what the whole refers to). 百分之百所代表意義
Categories to group data -• beginning/ end
• Highest/ lowest – peak
Task 1: Reading Graphs
2. Avoiding over-interpretation 主要任務：統整
、比較資料並報告；避免過度分析。
Comparison, yes; Inference-based analysis, no:
Test takers should refrain from making
inferences of what the data mean in task 1. The
main thing required is to describe the data, and,
when possible, to compare them.
[This is a bit similar to the Integrated task of
TOEFL, where synthesis and comparison are
usually the main tasks.]
Task 1: Language & Structure
• 過去的統計多半是用過去式呈現：
– "Past tense" seems to be more adequate,
when describing a chart based on statistics or
survey--except for the future prediction or a
general description of the trends.
• Examples
– when analyzing a general trend: "The overall
trend shows fluctuation with slight Increase
towards the end of the period."
– when describing a statistical result: "With
regards to money, 69% to 70% of both age
groups said it is essential."
Task 1: Suggested Structure
¶ 1: 1). Introduction through rephrasing the
test question
– 2). Overall trend: e.g. general “changes” over
a period of time. Avoid pointing out details
with specific quantities/numbers. The overall
trend which can be pulled out and put in the
beginning and the end should be the
¶ 2:
– two main focuses (e.g. trends) for the two
middle paragraphs, which of course still
include some subtle variations.
Example of Task 1
•
You should spend
about 20 minutes on
this task.
•
The take below gives
information about
the underground
railway systems in
six cities.
Summarize the
information by
selecting and
reporting the main
features, and make
comparisons where
relevant.
•
You should write at
least 150 words.
Sample Writing (1)
The table shows the details regarding the
underground railway systems in six cities.
London has the oldest underground railway systems
among the six cities. It was opened in the year
1863, and it is already 3l years old. Paris is the
second oldest, in which it was opened in the year
1900. This was then followed by the opening of the
railway systems in Tokyo, Washington DC and Kyoto.
Los Angeles has the newest underground railway
system, and was only opened in the year 2001. In
terms of the size of the railway systems, London,
for certain, has the largest underground railway
systems. It has 394 kilometres of route in total,
which is nearly twice as large as the system in
Paris. Kyoto, in contrast, has the smallest system.
It only has 11 kilometres of route, which is more
than 30 times less than that of London.
Sample Writing (2)
Interestingly, Tokyo, which only has 155
kilometres of route, serves the greatest number of
passengers per year, at 1927 millions passengers.
The system in Paris has the second greatest number
of passengers, at 1191 millions passengers per
year. The smallest underground railway system,
Kyoto, serves the smallest number of passengers
per year as predicted.
In conclusion, the underground railway systems in
different cities vary a lot in the size of the
system, the number of passengers served per year
and in the age of the system.
(233 words)
Task 2 (1)
 Time Length: 40 minutes
 Writing Length: 250 words (minimum)
 Writing Goal:
Presented with and respond to a
point of view or argument or
problem.
Task 2 (2)

4 possible types of the academic writing in task 2
1. Present the solution to a problem
e.g. You want to persuade someone to study your native language.
What reasons would you give? Support your answer with specific
details.
2. Present and justify an opinion
e.g. Do you think trial by jury should be used in all criminal
cases?
3. Compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications
e.g. How effective is it to reward good work with extra money?
4. Evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument
e.g. ‘Failure shows desire wasn’t strong enough’. To what
extent do you agree?

Reasons for penalty
•
•
•
•
•
Directly copied sentences or phrases from the question
The writing is less than the minimum word limit
Off-topic and irrelevant response
Plagiarism (severe penalty)
Incomplete format (e.g. bullet points, or note form etc.)
Example of Task 2
• You should spend about 40 minutes on this
task.
Write about the following topic:
• Governments should make more effort to
promote alternative sources of energy. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with
this opinion?
• Give reasons for your answer and include
any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience. Write at least
250 words.
Writing Sample (1)
• It has been known for some time now that a move
towards sources of energy which are not carbonbased is urgently required to stop the effects of
global warming. In my view, there are too few
governments who seem to be promoting the use of
other types of energy such as wind, wave, solar
and nuclear sources of energy.
• Governments at present are too reliant on coil,
oil and gas. Although some governments are doing
research into the use of alternative energy
sources, many are not. Energy from the wind, the
sea and the sun does not pollute the environment
and is an everlasting source of power. Nuclear
power is clean, and although it is not totally
unproblematic, it would provide a large amount of
energy and dramatically improve the environment.
Countries such as France have made good use of
nuclear power.
Writing Sample (2)
• My feeling is that more use could be made of wind
power. In some countries, there has been a
reluctance to use wind turbines, even in areas
which are not densely populated, as some people
believe they are eyesores. Personally, I believe
they are not only useful, but beautiful as well.
Governments should spend more time and effort
promoting the benefits of this source of energy
and trying to make the public understand the
reason for change.
• In conclusion, I believe that, if governments
forced everyone to have a wind turbine and solar
panels on the building they live in, made more use
of wave power and built more nuclear power
stations, then they would manage to avert the
dangers that are seriously threatening the Earth.
(268 words)
注意事項 Writing
Strategies
• For Both Tasks
1. Read the question carefully
2. Familiarise yourself with
descriptions of data – in
newspapers, textbooks
3. Practise formulating
your own ideas on topics
Note:
Major Grading Dimensions:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Task Response對題
Coherence and Cohesion 文句連貫
Lexical Resource文辭豐富
Grammatical Range and Accuracy 用句與文法正確並有變化：
1) paraphrasing but not no word-for-word repetition of the
question in one's answer
答案不要一字一字復述問題，要懂得用別的語辭改寫。
2) variation but not repeated usage of words, sentence structure
and transitions
字詞和句型不要重複，要懂得變化。
Writing Strategies –
For Both Tasks
• Device for better coherence
Function
Cohesive device
1. Addition
besides, furthermore, moreover, what is more,
in addition, also, both ... and …, not only …
but … also
2. Likeness
likewise, similarly, in the same way, in
addition
3. Contrast
however, nevertheless, still, nonetheless,
conversely, otherwise, instead, whereas,
while,
although, in contrast, on the contrary,
on the other hand, despite, in spite of
4. Cause and
Effect
accordingly, consequently, hence, therefore,
as a result, for this reason, so, as,
because of, due to, owing to, since, given
that, thus, thereby, by this means, in this
manner, in this case
Writing Strategies –
For Both Tasks
•Device for better coherence
Function
Cohesive device
5.Reinforcement
for example, for instance, such as,
a case in point, one example of this, in this
way, in fact, in particular, indeed
6. Time/Order
meanwhile, then, subsequently, afterward,
thereafter, earlier, later, after, before,
when, first(ly), second(ly), finally, lastly,
from beginning to end, in the beginning, in
the end, at last, in conclusion, overall, in
summary, on the whole, to summarize, to sum
up
Writing Strategies –
For Task 1
• Words used to describe the given pictures
noun
verb
a graph
a diagram
show
display
line graph
a figure
indicate
manifest
bar graph
a table
demonstrate
illustrate
column graph
vertical axis
reveal
explain
a chart
horizontal
axis
represent
provide
a pie chart
percentage
imply
mark
a bar chart
proportion
suggest
denote
Writing Strategies –
For Task 1
• Words used to describe statistics, to
compare results, to describe changes:
verbs
remain
grow
multiply
fall
climb
diminish
rise
decline
plunge
drop
gain
slide
increase
improve
slip
decrease
fluctuate
soar
Writing Strategies –
For Task 1
• Words used to describe statistics, to compare
results, to describe changes:
adjective/adverb
steady/steadily
approximately
stark
dramatically
gradually
doubly, triply
drastically
rapidly
relatively
sharply
slowly
annually
slightly
remarkably
merely
significantly
respectively
apparently
considerably
evidently
incredibly
initially
markedly
severely
correspondingly
exponentially
frequently
heavily
widely
admittedly
smoothly
surprisingly
Writing Strategies –
For Task 1
• Words used to describe statistics, to
compare results, to describe changes:
phrase
rise from … to …
fall from …
fall to …
start at/from … to …
range from … to …
reach to …
be divided into …
in the vicinity of …
References 網路資源:
• IELTS homepage (IELTS官方網站)
http://www.ielts.org/index.htm
• ELC homepage (香港理工大學)
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/IELTS/
• IELTS Exam Preparation
http://www.ielts-exam.net/
• University of Leeds:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/languages/resource/english/graphs
/tren.htm
– 線上英語自學中心
http://ce.etweb.fju.edu.tw/self_learning.html
BRITISH COUNCIL (英國文化協會)
http://www.britishcouncil.org/tw/taiwan.htm
IDP IELTS (澳洲國際文教中心)
http://www.idp-ielts.com.tw/web/
I IDP IELTS (台灣雅思考試中心)
http://www.idp-ielts.com.tw/web/
Charles, Julian. IELTS Write Right. Taipei: Jon Wen Books,