Essay Writing - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Achieve IELTS Practice Tests Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–27 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Essay Writing
Essay writing is simply the process of 21 information and presenting your 22. You will need to use skills of analysis, 23 and expression. The more essays you write, the more you will develop these skills. The key to producing a good essay is in the 24. Allow plenty of time to work out what you need to do. You will find several books in the library to help you with the particular 25 of academic writing. When you have completed your essay you must remember to 26 it carefully and take out anything irrelevant. Also, once you have received your mark, you should check your essay through as, by doing this, you can 27 from it.
Questions 28–30 Three Choices
Choose THREE letters A – G.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | organising / organizing | essay writing is a very straightforward process really. What it involves is organising the information that you want to include | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that writing an essay is a simple process where a student needs to arrange and order their information. Answer Explanation: The answer "organising" means putting information into a neat, clear, and logical order. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "organising" because the tutor explains that essay writing is a straightforward process that involves "organising the information that you want to include". In the summary, "process of organising information" directly matches this statement. |
| Q22 | argument | And then you just have to think about how you're going to put forward your argument | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that writing an essay requires planning how to present or show your main point and reasoning (your argument). Answer Explanation: The answer "argument" refers to your main idea, point of view, or reasoning that you present in an essay. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "argument" because the tutor explains that after organising information, a student needs to think about how to "put forward your argument". In the summary, "presenting your" matches the meaning of "put forward your", making "argument" the exact word needed to complete the sentence. |
| Q23 | interpretation | You need to be able to analyse your data and then I would say the skills of interpretation and expressing yourself are important | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when writing an essay, you must be able to study your data, understand what it means (interpretation), and share your thoughts clearly. Answer Explanation: The answer "interpretation" means understanding the meaning of information or data. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "interpretation" because the tutor mentions the specific skills required for essay writing. The summary states: "You will need to use skills of analysis, [interpretation] and expression." This matches the tutor's statement that students need to "analyse" data and that the skills of "interpretation" and "expressing yourself" are important. |
| Q24 | preparation | What is vital to good essay writing is preparation so make sure you build in enough time to do the research you need | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that planning and getting ready (preparation) is an essential part of writing a good essay, so students must give themselves plenty of time to do research. Answer Explanation: The answer "preparation" means getting ready and planning your work before you start writing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "preparation" because the tutor emphasizes that getting ready beforehand is essential for writing a great essay. In the summary sentence, "The key to producing a good essay" directly matches the tutor's phrase "What is vital to good essay writing", where "vital" means "the key" or very important. |
| Q25 | style | You should go to the library and look through the reference section because there are books that focus on the style we use in academic writing and those will help you a lot | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that students can find books in the library that explain the style needed for writing academic essays. Answer Explanation: The answer "style" means the particular way or manner in which academic essays are written. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "style" because the tutor tells Alex that in the library's reference section, there are books focusing specifically on the "style" used in academic writing. The summary sentence states: "You will find several books in the library to help you with the particular of academic writing." |
| Q26 | edit | Too many students just complete their work and hand it in, whereas what you should be doing is making sure that you edit it as thoroughly as possible | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that students should make sure to check and fix (edit) their essay very carefully once they have finished writing it, rather than just submitting it right away. Answer Explanation: The answer "edit" means to check written work carefully and make corrections or changes to improve it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "edit" because the tutor explains what a student should do after finishing an essay. The summary states, "When you have completed your essay you must remember to [edit] it carefully..." This directly matches the tutor's advice that instead of just completing and handing in work, students should make sure to "edit it as thoroughly as possible." In this context, "thoroughly" is a synonym for "carefully", and "complete their work" matches "completed your essay". |
| Q27 | learn | The other thing is, again, what a lot of students do is get their essays back, look at the marks, then just file it away. They don't seem to realise that if they checked it through and looked at what the tutor had written, then they can learn from their old essays | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that reading through graded essays and the tutor's comments helps students gain new knowledge and improve from their previous work. Answer Explanation: The answer "learn" means to gain knowledge, skills, or understanding from an experience. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "learn" because the summary discusses what a student should do after getting their grade. In the conversation, the tutor explains that instead of just filing essays away after looking at the marks, students should check through their work and tutor feedback because "they can learn from their old essays." Therefore, the missing word in "you can learn from it" is "learn". |
| Q28 | — | — | |
| Q29 | — | — | |
| Q30 | B / C / E | But one tip I can give you is to try and not read too much, otherwise you end up including irrelevant material in your essay Well, you might find it useful to break it down even further by making sure you understand all the words perfectly before you start In fact, you shouldn't have too many - just use them where it's really important |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the tutor advising the student to do three things: do not read an excessive amount of material, ensure full understanding of all the words in the prompt, and keep the number of quotes in the essay low. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the tutor gives three specific suggestions: check the vocabulary in the question (B), limit how much you read (C), and use only a few quotations (E). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is confirmed by three pieces of advice the tutor gives to Alex. First, for choice C ("limit how much you read"), the tutor explicitly advises Alex "to try and not read too much". Second, for choice B ("check the vocabulary in the question"), the tutor suggests "making sure you understand all the words perfectly before you start" (referring to instruction words like "assess" or "comment"). Third, for choice E ("use only a few quotations"), the tutor tells Alex not to just string quotations together and states, "you shouldn't have too many - just use them where it's really important." |
Transcript
Tutor: Hi, Alex, come in. I gather you wanted some help with writing essays.
Alex: Yes. I'm finding this first term difficult and I'm worried about the assignments we have to do for January.
Tutor: Well, let me see if I can help. You shouldn't panic about it because essay writing is a very straightforward process really. What it involves is organising the information that you want to include. You shouldn't have more than you can easily manage within the word count. Make sure you haven't got too much or anything irrelevant. You need to look at that and work out what you need and what you don't need before you start. And then you just have to think about how you're going to put forward your argument.
Alex: Oh, that sounds very straightforward when you put it like that. But I'm worried I haven't got the necessary skills for writing an effective essay because English is my second language.
Tutor: Well, perhaps you misunderstand the skills you need. You need to be able to analyse your data and then I would say the skills of interpretation and expressing yourself are important. Perhaps it's this last one that bothers you, but the more essays you write, the more you will develop these skills.
Alex: Yes - and I don't quite know how to improve at that - though as you say, I know practice will help. And I need to make sure I've got everything ready before I start.
Tutor: Yes. What is vital to good essay writing is preparation so make sure you build in enough time to do the research you need.
Alex: Are there any other sources I can use to help me with essays?
Tutor: Yes. You should go to the library and look through the reference section because there are books that focus on the style we use in academic writing and those will help you a lot. The other thing that you should think about is, what happens when you've actually written your essay. Too many students just complete their work and hand it in, whereas what you should be doing is making sure that you edit it as thoroughly as possible.
Alex: Oh, yes. That's a good idea. Then I'd pick up any mistakes and also see if it reads logically.
Tutor: Exactly. The other thing is, again, what a lot of students do is get their essays back, look at the marks, then just file it away. They don't seem to realise that if they checked it through and looked at what the tutor had written, then they can learn from their old essays.
Alex: Yeah, I can see that's a good idea.
Tutor: So, is that OK? You can always come back to me.
Alex: Actually, there were a couple of other things I wanted to ask you about essay writing. I had had a few thoughts of my own about what I should do such as really taking good notes when I'm reading because that helps, doesn't it?
Tutor: I think it improves your knowledge rather than your actual writing. But one tip I can give you is to try and not read too much, otherwise you end up including irrelevant material in your essay. Remember to stay on task.
Alex: Yes, sometimes I have problems interpreting the questions correctly, or the whole question seems overwhelming to me. What I try to do is highlight the key parts and divide it into smaller chunks, so I can manage it.
Tutor: Well, you might find it useful to break it down even further by making sure you understand all the words perfectly before you start. Things like 'assess' or 'comment' and such like.
Alex: Yes, I see.
Tutor: Sometimes, after an objective analysis, the question actually asks you for a subjective opinion, but you must remember to support your arguments, if that's the case. One final comment I can make is about using your own words - you must try to do this as far as possible. You're expected to summarise what you've read not just string together a list of quotations. In fact, you shouldn't have too many - just use them where it's really important.
Alex: OK, thanks.
Tutor: Do you read other student's essays when you've finished?
Alex: No. Why? Is that a good idea?
Tutor: Well, you can confuse each other so I'd advise against it - but it's up to you.
Alex: OK. Thanks very much ... (fade) ...