L04: Part 1 explained: forms, names and numbers

Part 1 is the friendliest part of the whole IELTS test. Two people talk about something normal, like booking a room or joining a club. The questions ask for simple facts. If you aim for band 6.5 or higher, you should try to get 9 or 10 out of 10 here. Let me show you how.

Why this matters

Part 1 marks are the easiest marks in the test. But many students lose two or three of them because of small slips. A wrong letter in a name. A plural "s" missed. A number written as 15 instead of 50. Each of those is one mark gone. Three marks can be the difference between 6 and 6.5.

What Part 1 sounds like

Usually one person needs information and the other person gives it. For example:

• A student calls a gym to ask about membership
• A tourist books a bus tour
• A woman reports a lost bag at a train station
• A man asks about renting a flat

The answers are things like names, addresses, phone numbers, dates, times, prices and short reasons.

A short example

Read this piece of a Part 1 recording. Then look at the form.

Receptionist: Can I have your surname, please?

Caller: Yes, it's Hossain. H-O-S-S-A-I-N.

Receptionist: Thank you. And when would you like to start?

Caller: I was thinking the 15th of March. Oh, wait. I'm away that week. Can we say the 22nd instead?

Receptionist: No problem. The monthly fee is 35 pounds, but students pay 28.

Caller: Great, I'm a student.

Form:

1. Surname: __________
2. Start date: __________
3. Monthly fee: £__________

See what happened? Question 2 had a trap. The first date was 15th March, but she changed it. Question 3 had a trap too. The first price was 35, but she's a student, so the answer is 28.

Five rules for Part 1

1. Read the form before the audio starts. Ask yourself, "Is this a name, a number, a date or a word?"
2. Wait for the final answer. Speakers often change their minds. Keep listening for a few seconds after you think you've heard the answer.
3. Spell carefully. Names are usually spelled out letter by letter. Listen to every letter.
4. Check numbers twice. Listen for 13 or 30, 15 or 50. Lesson L12 covers this in detail.
5. Respect the word limit. If it says ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER, don't write more.

What Bangladeshi students often get wrong

We are used to hearing English numbers in a Bangla rhythm. So fast numbers like phone numbers can be hard. Also, letters like A, E and I sound different in British English than many of us expect. If you don't practise spelling out loud, you'll mix them up. L14 shows you how to fix this.

Try it yourself

Read this and fill the gaps.

"The tour starts at half past nine, not nine as it says on the website. Please bring a packed lunch. Oh, and the meeting point has moved. It's now outside the library, not the station."

1. Start time: __________
2. Meeting point: outside the __________

Honest note

Part 1 feels easy, and that's the danger. Students relax, stop concentrating, and lose marks. Treat it seriously. Also, the questions in Part 1 are not always forms. Sometimes there's a table or a multiple choice question.

Your task today

Do Part 1 from two different practice tests. Your goal is 10 out of 10. For every mistake, write down why it happened: spelling, number, change of mind, or word limit.