Most of the time while attending high-level exams like IELTS, we come across the dilemma of using capital letters or small letters. If you are worried about how you write your answer or your bad handwriting, there is an exception in the IELTS exam. Although many candidates often forget to make the exact use of punctuation, you must take care of certain things like “your writing”.
Before appearing for the IELTS exam next time, make sure you go through all the rules, vocabulary, and grammar tests to achieve a good score. The primary thing that matters here is what to do if your writing is bad and what to do when you are about to use capital letters in your sentences. Herein, we have given all the basic rules and “Things That Are Important To Note” so that you can learn better.
Basic Rules and Things to Know to Learn Better
1. Capital Letters In Listening Test
In the IELTS exam, you have the complete freedom to write the answers in any way, including small letters, capital letters, or even a combination of the two. There is particularly no rule that sticks to the capitalization in IELTS Listening Test. You only need to ensure you write the answer with the correct spelling otherwise you will lose your scores.
You are provided with 10 extra minutes for the transfer of all your answers in the IELTS Listening Test answer sheet. So, even if you are having bad handwriting, we suggest you use capital letters for better understanding. Capital letters are easy to read and write. If you are giving a computer-based exam, you do not need to worry about writing in any form. Make sure that while you are answering the questions, you make the proper use of small letters, capital letters, or a combination of them.
For example,
- LETTER
- Letter
- LeTteR
All the examples stated above are correct unless the spellings are correct. Moreover, if you want to learn more about the rule of capital letters, you can look to join the IELTS coaching centre.
Important Points To Note-
If you are writing the answers in capital letters, do not use them while linking the words like in the use of but, and, because, etc. These are certain words that never start with a capital letter. The reason is that they are connectors and you should not start a sentence with these words. This is important to note while you are writing the exam.
What about the speaking test?
Well, you do not need to write anything in the speaking test. So, you have the complete freedom to write things the way you want. Moreover, you must take care that you use proper capitalization for all your tests except the speaking test, where you must be able to understand your own writing/words or language that you write on the rough paper given to you during the speaking test.
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2. Capital Letter In Reading Exam
The rules that apply to the reading section in IELTS for the use of capital letters are similar to that of the listening section. You can use small letters, and capital letters, or can also use a combination of both.
The key difference is that in the listening test you get 10 minutes extra to transfer the answers. In contrast, no extra time for sorting any form of an answer is provided for the reading test.
Important Points To Note-
- If your writing is good, try to write in small letters as the use of capital letters will consume more time.
- Write in capital letters if your writing is poor or bad. This will ensure better readability to the observer.
- If you are using capital letters, make the right use of them. Place the capital letters in the right place to make the writing legible.
- While you are attempting the IELTS reading exam, writing capital letters or small letters is not important. So if you think that using capitalization will hamper your marks, you do not need to worry at all.
- The IELTS Reading exam is more about the vocabulary test than the reading test. You will be provided with lots of reading questions including the reading or understanding of the passage. Therefore, you must be aware of the synonyms, antonyms, paraphrasing, common words, and other information that connects with your exam.
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3. Capital Letter In Writing Exam
The IELTS writing test examines your ability to write correct spellings, punctuation, vocabulary, and grammar. You can make use of capital letters in essay writing, but you should not follow the pattern of capitalization. The reason is stated below:
- Essay Writing consumes more time, so you must choose wisely between capital and small letters. Also, capital letters take more time for any good handwriting writer. As stated above, if your handwriting is good, you do not need to write in capital letters.
- IELTS writing explores the scores over the use of proper grammar with language, punctuation, and spelling. Make sure you use the right capital letter in the right way like with proper use of rules.
If you are choosing capital letters as your only style of writing, make sure you do not make any spelling and grammatical mistakes. Certain capitalization rules stick to grammar and are universal and you should follow them, understand them, use them properly, and write them in the correct form as they should be. To avoid the use of distance and learn about the techniques of using capital letters, you can enroll in the distant learning centre.
What Is The Right Way To Use Capital Letters?
- A new sentence should begin with a capital letter.
- Start the name of the Month and Day with a capital letter
- Start a person’s name in capital letters.
- The name of the country and city should be in capital letters.
- You can use capital letters for the name of popular places and monuments
- The pronoun “I” should always be in capital letter
- Nationalities and Languages should be in capital letters
- The use of Acronyms, for instance, the USA abbreviated to The United States Of America should always be in capital letters.
Things That Are Important To Note-
- Do not use the starting word of the sentence as “because/but/and/etc”. Also, avoid the use of linking words at the start of the sentence in formal writing.
- The IELTS writing test is more about the right use of vocabulary, punctuation, language, syntax, grammar, and similar aspects. So, you must use the correct form of small or capital letters.
Conclusion
Using capital letters in the official exam of IELTS is important for those who have poor or bad handwriting. Also, the use of proper punctuation can be disturbing for many candidates but you must make the proper use of sentences, and basic rules of punctuation while making the language meaningful. The use of punctuation is important even if you are writing in capital or small letters.
This is because punctuation gives meaning to your sentences and if you do not make the proper use, you will not be able to convey your message to the observer. Conversely, if you do not make the proper use of punctuation, it will not be conveyed the way you want. So, punctuation is important while you are writing your exam along with having the great power of writing style, even good or bad.
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