IELTS Writing & Speaking Test for General Training Module – May 2017 & Sample Answers

Be well-prepared for the General IELTS test by reading & practicing our IELTS Writing & Speaking Actual Test.

IELTS Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You recently travelled with a certain airline and the company asked for your customer feedback. Write a letter to the airline.
In your letter say

– Explain why you have chosen this airline
– What you liked or disliked, and why
– What you would recommend to improve their service.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays people usually retire at the age of 60 or 65, but some want to keep working as long as they can. Is this a positive or a negative development? Give you own opinion and relevant examples.

 

IELTS Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?

Cue Card

Talk about an instance when you were waiting for a special moment. Please say

– What was the moment?
– How did you feel while waiting? Why?
– How were you preparing for that moment?

Discussion

– Is it good to be a patient person?
– What are the benefits of being patient nowadays?

 

SAMPLE ANSWERS

For Writing Task 1, you can read a sample answer for a similar topic:

You travelled by plane last week and your suitcase was lost. You have still heard nothing from the airline company.

Write to the airline and explain what happened. Describe your suitcase and tell them what was in it. Find out what they are going to do about it.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was one of the passengers who took the flight from Narita (Tokyo) to Heathrow (London) on 5 August. Unfortunately, my suitcase did not come out after the flight. Although I have explained this Mr McDonald who was in charge at the Luggage Claim Office I have not heard from him as of now.

My suitcase is Grey Samsonite whose size is 10 x 95 cm. There are 3 stickers on one side and 1 heart shaped sticker on the other side. My initials “AR” are also written on both sides.

There are a few books and a copy of my thesis in that suitcase, which I need for the conference on 19 August.

So I would deeply appreciate it if you could give me a prompt reply at your most convenient. My flight number, luggage claim number and address are written below.

Flight No : NH 101
Luggage Claim No : 00026
Address : 6H Silver Street
London.NWI6 5AL

Yours Faithfully,

Daniel Fillip

 

Task 2 Sample Answer:

Working sector has undergone gigantic changes over few decades. Presently, the fixed retirement age for grey work force is 60 or 65 in most of nations. However, some folks want allowance to work as long as they can in order to satisfy their wants. This essay will cite that this trend is likely to have more positive outcomes than negatives.

There are manifold merits of this happening. First and foremost, sometime, old people live miserable lives if they are retired at the age of 65. To justify, in some families, young adults do not have healthy bondings with the old people due to generation gap. As a result, they are less willing to support grey people financially and socially. Therefore, grey- headed generation want freedom to work even after 60’s so that they can earn money to manage their two square meal. Some elders are unwilling to stay free after their retirement. Thus, they have desire to relish their working lives with their peer groups as long as they can. Consequently, they must be permitted to work as long as they are fit.

Furthermore, companies may deprive privileges of if grey headed people are retired at fixed age. For example, old generation is veteran of work stages and therefore they work more efficiently, accurately and deliberately to maximize the productivity. Consequently, working segments could not take the advantages of skilful old people for some more years if they get retirement at 60. In addition, some people intend to work for their passion, self-satisfaction and well-being of mankind. Hence, it is unjustifiable to snatch the working right at certain retirement age without their own wishes. On the contrary, it has thorny side too.

To commence with, unemployment is spreading its roots among young people in some thriving nations. Thus, young workforce may not avail the opportunity to be employed if older people do not get retirement at fixed age. Furthermore, unlike grey generation, young people who are well educated, technically advanced and energetic could be more beneficial for the outcomes of working sectors. Therefore, it is significant to replace old workforce with young professionals to ensure best results.

To recapitulate, undeniably, fixed retirement age has few merits. However, giving elderly people allowance to work is more advantageous from all prospectives.

By Justin

 

IELTS Speaking Answers 

Cue Card Sample:

Having to wait for somebody is a common situation in our daily lives. There was this one time I had to wait for my friends, which was so special I‟d like to share the story with you today.

It was my birthday and I had invited a group of friends to a coffee house to celebrate it. We were scheduled to meet there at 8 that evening. I was so eager that I came early. Certainly, none of them were there, but it was easy to understand because I was early. However, I waited for half an hour, but nobody showed up, and then I started to feel uncomfortable and worried. As I was losing my patience, I began to call each of them to ask why they had not come yet. To my surprise, none of them picked up the phone. I was really fed up, as you can imagine, because it was my birthday and my friends had treated me like that.

I waited for a couple more minutes until I couldn‟t stand it anymore, and decided to leave. As soon as I called the waiter for the bill, I heard the “Happy birthday” song start up in the coffee house. Out of nowhere, all of my friends suddenly appeared with a birthday cake. They hugged me and wished me happy birthday. It was such a surprise. My anger quickly gave way to laughter and we had an unforgettable night chatting until the early hours, drinking coffee and, of course, eating cake.

VOCABULARY
 show up: [phrasal verb] to arrive where you had arranged to meet somebody Example: It was getting late when she finally showed up.
 lose my patience: [verb phrase] to become annoyed or angry as a result of a delay. Example: The train is now 1 hour late, and I am losing my patience.
 fed up: [adjective] bored and unhappy, especially with a situation that has continued for a long time. Example: The traffic congestion in our city never seems to get better, so people are really fed up with the time it takes to get to work.
 stand [something]: [verb] to dislike – used especially in negative sentences. Example: I like John, but I can‟t stand his sister, she is very rude.
 out of nowhere: [expression] appearing or happening suddenly and unexpectedly Example: The woman cried for help and, out of nowhere, a policeman arrived.
 hug: [verb] to put your arms around someone and hold them tightly, to show that you like or love them. Example: The child ran out of the school and he hugged his mother, who was waiting at the school gate.
 the early hours: [expression] early in the morning, for example about 2, 3 or 4 am.