You will need to practice writing detailed information. Remember, you only have one time to listen, so you need to be perfectly accurate when you hear the speaker saying letters and numbers.
The following are examples of the type of information you will hear:
1.Addresses
76 Gideon Ave
Unit 67/32 Metropolis St (first number is the apartment, second is the street number)
15 Forest Rd, Kenwick, 4683
2.Names
McDonaugh
Jean Stimpson
Marcus Orrenfeld (two consecutive same letters are pronounced ‘double’ r)
3.Phone Numbers
0367 853 981 (the zero is often pronounced ‘oh’)
4573 6429
44 87 664 664 (two consecutive same numbers are pronounced ‘double’ six)
4.Dates
When you write dates in full, you can write either the date or month first. If you need to include the year, the year should come last. In abbreviated form, the pattern should be date/month/year (eg. 23/7/2014).
The fifteenth of July = 15 July or July 15th
October the third = October 3 or 3rd October
New Year’s Eve = Dec 31st or 31 December
5.Account Numbers
753999AFH4432
200798000T
GH5982L7S9
6.Using Abbreviations
It is a good idea to write with abbreviations because this will save you time when you are transferring your answers. You can use standard abbreviations such as:
- centimetres – cm
- kilometres – km
- dollars – $
- pounds – £
- street – St
- Road – Rd
- Doctor – Dr
- Missus – Mrs
Bonus Tip!
The next time you watch a YouTube video or movie in English, try to listen to the small details when the people are speaking. Listening for specific details is different from general information about a subject. In many cases, people try to get the general information about a topic. But IELTS is clear about testing your ability to hear details correctly. This is a skill you must practice.