The Internet and Education (again!) - A GT Advantages/Disadvantges essay from a likely member of the 9/9/6.5 Club

I was helping the author of this essay via email and he just stopped writing me... as there are so few examples of the GT Advantages/Disadvantages type of essay at the Temple, I thought it would be helpful to the students at large to see n example of someone whose English level is quite good, but is stuck at a 6.5 in writing - because he followed the rules.

Project Pankaj Comes to a Successful Conclusion... For this Pankaj.

One thing I have as a professional IELTS instructor: job security. Well, the bulk of my hours in paid employment these days is going towards the management side, not teaching, but even then, I can say with certainty that there will never be a shortage of people who need help with the IELTS test.

For this fine young man, who inspired the name 'Project Pankaj', his journey with IELTS prep is at an end...

Nervous you Won't Think of Something to Talk About in IELTS Speaking? FAPP! FAPP! FAPP!

I'm not CERTAIN the following is actually good advice.  It is, however, something that candidates consistently feel better knowing that they have in their pockets going into test day.  I'm talking about a pre-set structure on which to build your talk during the speaking test.

In the short video below, you will see me endorsing the idea to my students in class.  I describe it as a house on which you can place your language.  Each

Good Luck to Salvi, whose test is today, and this is the last feedback she's going to get

Gosh, I really hope I'm not too negative; I should be encouraging, right?

You may not always like what you hear from the Temple.

Salvi, you said your test was on the 4th. That's now today where I live (I dunno where you're from ).

One of the Most Common Problems : Good points made but not supported

I think I explain it well enough in the video...

Why is it so difficult to get a "7" in the Writing Tasks?

Why is it so hard to get that seven? 

When I first read tonight's essay up in the garage, it seemed to have supported its arguments, it flowed well, had complex sentences, and theren't weren't too many grammar errors at first glance. A Band 7 essay, I thought.
 
Then I took a closer look at it.

 
One of the main problems was one that many people have: he wrote a "generic task two" without regard to the exact type of question that he was answering.  If this had been a "to what extent do you agree or disagree" question, it would have received a higher mark in task response. In Band7, there's the requirement in TR that says "maintains a consistent position throughout", and you need to do that differently in a "give your opinion" essay than you do a agree/diagree or adv/disadvantage essay. 

A little closer attention to some of the most basic rules of grammar, capitalization and punctuation, then the very good complex sentences might have carried it.



So, to answer my own question, it's hard to get a 7 because if you make a big mistake in any ONE of the marking criteria, and get a 6, you'll need an 8 in one of the other three to make up for it.

Do We Have to bring up the pressure of exams, long working hours and the advancement of technology into every essay?

From the garage:

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organized group activities in their free time. Others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

People have different views about whether children should participate in group

TASK ONE MANIA!!

Oh, we've been having fun at the IELTS Temple...

It started when I got some new software and a 2-part question.

WHAT CAN YOU MAKE OUT OF THIS?

What can you make out of this?

NO! Not that!  THIS! A Task One line graph. A famous one!

How To Support Your Ideas in Task 2

Look up there at the top of the blog! In the pages toolbar! Where it says Slides *NEW*. That's where you can find the .ppt versions of workshops and talks I do.

Like the one from last night.