Feedback on Essay - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Collins Practice Tests For IELTS 1 Academic Listening Test 2 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–24 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 25–27 Note Completion
Complete the tutor's notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Very natural use of 25 . Well done!
Try using higher level 26 in your essays.
The sentences are sometimes too 27 .
Questions 28–30 Multiple Choice (Three Answers)
Choose THREE letters, A-F.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | B | I spent hours in the library reading up on the subject so I feel confident I answered the question | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Jacob saying he spent many hours reading about the topic in the library, which helped him feel sure that he answered the question correctly. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Jacob did a lot of reading and study before he started writing his first essay draft. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because Jacob mentions that he spent a long time in the library studying the topic. When someone says they are "reading up on" a subject, it means they are doing research and reading many different things to learn more about it. This matches the idea of reading widely. |
| Q22 | A | You've included all the important points and you've given a very balanced argument so I'm pleased with that | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that the teacher is happy because Jacob talked about every important part of the topic and showed both sides of the story equally. Answer Explanation: The answer means the teacher thinks Jacob did a good job showing different points of view in his writing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the tutor says that the essay has a 'balanced argument.' This means Jacob explained both sides of the topic fairly. While the tutor mentions that Jacob needs to fix his paragraphing (organization) and use harder words (vocabulary), she is very happy with the content and the way the argument is presented. |
| Q23 | B | Well, to be fair, I think the order of your ideas here is fine. It's your paragraphing that's the problem. If you look at this page it's difficult to actually see your organisation. Your ideas are in the right order but I can't make the organisation out very well because there aren't any paragraphs |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that even though the ideas follow a logical plan, they are not presented well because the page has no paragraphs. This makes it hard for the tutor to see the structure of the essay. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Jacob’s ideas are not shown clearly on the page. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the tutor says that Jacob's ideas are in the right order, but they are hard to see because he did not use paragraphs. In this context, 'poorly presented' means the visual layout of the writing makes the organization difficult to understand. |
| Q24 | A | Have a look at paragraphs in books, magazines, newspapers that kind of thing. There's no need to read everything Just pay attention to how paragraphs are presented |
Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the teacher telling Jacob to look at paragraphs in various reading materials like magazines or books to see how they are organized, without needing to read all the actual words. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the teacher tells Jacob to check how other people use paragraphs in their writing. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the teacher identifies paragraphing as the main problem in Jacob's essay. To help him improve, the teacher advises him to look at different types of reading materials, such as books and newspapers, to observe how they organize their text into paragraphs. The teacher specifically mentions that Jacob does not need to read the content, just focus on the 'presentation' or look of the paragraphs. |
| Q25 | set expressions | The register is very good Jacob, no problem at all. You've used lots of nice set expressions we'd expect to find in a piece of writing like this and used them very naturally | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the tutor telling Jacob that his writing style is very good because he used many common phrases correctly and in a natural way. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to common phrases or groups of words that are often used together in a specific way. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'set expressions' because the tutor specifically praises Jacob for using these common phrases correctly. In the conversation, the tutor mentions that the writing style is good and that Jacob used these expressions in a way that feels 'very natural' for the type of essay he wrote. |
| Q26 | sentence structures | What I would suggest is trying to experiment more with advanced sentence structures | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the tutor telling Jacob to try using more difficult and complex types of sentences. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Jacob should try to use more complex or difficult ways of building his sentences. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer comes from the part where the tutor gives Jacob advice on how to improve his writing. The tutor uses the word 'advanced', which has the same meaning as 'higher level' in the task notes. The tutor suggests that Jacob should use these 'sentence structures' because his current sentences are often too short. |
| Q27 | short | Yours tend to be on the short side. That's okay when short sentences are required but sometimes combining two sentences into one can make the essay flow more naturally | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that the tutor thinks Jacob's sentences are too short. She encourages him to connect his ideas together into longer sentences so the essay reads more smoothly. Answer Explanation: The answer "short" means Jacob's sentences are not long enough. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "short" because the tutor specifically tells Jacob that his sentences are usually "on the short side." She suggests that making his sentences longer by combining them would make his writing better. Therefore, the notes say the sentences are sometimes too short. |
| Q28 | — | — | |
| Q29 | — | — | |
| Q30 | A / C / F | I'll give you one of our worksheets in a minute. You can take it away and work on it before you write your second draft. Finally, another thing you could think about is using more advanced vocabulary. Again, the words you've used are fine but there are more advanced synonyms that would fit more appropriately in an essay like this. Jacob: Well I've bought a thesaurus. Tutor: Yes, that's just what you need. As you can see, I've underlined where I think you could make changes but I haven't suggested any synonyms. Use your thesaurus to try and find some alternatives | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the tutor providing a sheet for extra practice, advising Jacob to use better or harder words, and telling him to find new words for the specific parts of his writing that she marked with a line. Answer Explanation: The answer means the teacher suggests that Jacob should use practice sheets to improve his writing, use more professional words, and find new words to replace the ones she highlighted in his paper. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is identified by looking at the tutor's final advice. She offers Jacob a **worksheet** to practice **sentence structures** (which helps with **formal writing**), tells him to use more **advanced vocabulary** to make it sound more academic, and instructs him to find **alternatives** for the words she has **underlined** in his draft using a **thesaurus**. |
Transcript
Tutor: Hello Jacob. Come in and take a seat. How are you finding the course?
Jacob: Very good. I'm really enjoying myself.
Tutor: Good. Well, I've had a look at the first draft of your assignment and it shows a great deal of promise. How well do you think you answered the question?
Jacob: I think I dealt with the task okay. I spent hours in the library reading up on the subject so I feel confident I answered the question. I'm not sure about my Spanish though.
Tutor: Well, for a first draft I was very happy with the content ... You've included all the important points and you've given a very balanced argument so I'm pleased with that. I think one area you need to work on is organisation.
Jacob: Yes, my other tutor said the same thing about another piece of writing. My ideas weren't organised logically, she said.
Tutor: Well, to be fair, I think the order of your ideas here is fine. It's your paragraphing that's the problem. If you look at this page it's difficult to actually see your organisation. Your ideas are in the right order ... but I can't make the organisation out very well because there aren't any paragraphs.
Jacob: Yes, I see what you mean. Perhaps if I left a line between paragraphs it would make it clearer.
Tutor: Yes, that's an excellent idea. Have a look at paragraphs in books, magazines, newspapers ... that kind of thing. There's no need to read everything ... Just pay attention to how paragraphs are presented.
Jacob: Okay. I'll have a look at some of my friends' work as well. They don't seem to have this problem. What about the style of the writing? Is that okay? I've never really learnt how to write formally so I'm always a bit worried about this when I write an essay.
Tutor: The register is very good Jacob, no problem at all. You've used lots of nice set expressions we'd expect to find in a piece of writing like this and used them very naturally.
Jacob: That's good. What about my Spanish?
Tutor: Your basic grammar is okay; you haven't made many mistakes so that's good. What I would suggest is trying to experiment more with advanced sentence structures. Yours tend to be on the short side. That's okay when short sentences are required but sometimes combining two sentences into one can make the essay flow more naturally.
Jacob: Have you got anything I can use to practise that? Any books or websites I could visit?
Tutor: Yes, no problem. I'll give you one of our worksheets in a minute. You can take it away and work on it before you write your second draft. Finally, another thing you could think about is using more advanced vocabulary. Again, the words you've used are fine but there are more advanced synonyms that would fit more appropriately in an essay like this.
Jacob: Well I've bought a thesaurus.
Tutor: Yes, that's just what you need. As you can see, I've underlined where I think you could make changes but I haven't suggested any synonyms. Use your thesaurus to try and find some alternatives ...