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Compound words
IELTS’s official practice materials sometimes require candidates to write responses that
may be written a single compound word (e.g. part-time) or as two words (e.g. part time).
For example:
“Listening sample task – Sentence completion (to be used with IELTS Listening
Recording 4)
Answers:
27 motivation
28 time(-)management [emphasis added]
29 modules
30 summer school(s)”
IELTS impose a maximum word count on all written answers in the listening test. The
inclusion of answers that may be written as compound words or as multiple words may
confuse test-takers insofar as they are unsure how to stay within the word limit imposed
on written answers.
Suggested solution: IELTS should avoid answers that may be written as compound words
(which count as one word) or as multiple words.