IELTS Signpost Checklist — All Four Parts

Writing (Task 1 & Task 2) / 寫作

Purpose / 用途	Signpost / 轉承語	Example / 例句(中英)
T1 Introduce 圖表引言	The chart/graph/table illustrates; The diagram shows; The maps compare	The bar chart illustrates internet access (2010–2020). / 長條圖說明2010–2020年網路使用率。
T1 Overview 概述	Overall; In general; At a glance	Overall, access increased while rural figures lagged. / 整體而言，使用率上升，偏鄉落後。
Group & compare 分組比較	compared with; whereas; by contrast; outstrip; lag behind	Urban households outstripped rural ones, whereas C lagged behind. / 都市高於鄉村，C 國落後。
Trends 趨勢	increase/rise/go up; decrease/fall/drop/dip/decline; remain stable; fluctuate; peak at (+ steadily/sharply/significantly/slightly)	Subscriptions rose steadily from 25% to 48% and peaked at 55% in 2019. / 訂閱率穩步升至48%，2019年達55%高峰。
Quantify 量化	about; approximately; roughly; majority/minority	Approximately a quarter preferred tablets. / 約四分之一偏好平板。
Process sequence 流程(被動)	Initially; Next; Subsequently; Meanwhile; Finally	Initially, the ore is crushed; subsequently, it is heated. / 起初礦石被粉碎，之後被加熱。
T2 State position 立場	This essay argues/contends that; On balance	This essay argues that transit investment should take priority. / 本文主張交通運輸應優先投資。
Add 追加	moreover; furthermore; in addition; not only… but also	Moreover, congestion pricing reduces peak-hour traffic. / 此外，擁擠費可降低尖峰車流。
Contrast 對比	however; nevertheless; although; whereas; despite	Although automation displaces some roles, it creates new jobs. / 雖然自動化取代部分職務，也創造新工作。
Cause→result 因果	because (of); therefore; consequently; as a result	Fuel taxes rose; consequently, car use declined. / 燃料稅上升，因此用車下降。
Clarify/exemplify 說明舉例	that is; in other words; namely; for example	…“brain drain”—that is, the loss of skilled workers. / …即失去技術人才。
Paragraph move 轉段	Turning to; Another key factor is; In contrast	Turning to environmental impacts, emissions fell after 2018. / 轉向環境影響，2018年後排放下降。
Refer back 指代銜接	this/that/these; the former/the latter; such a trend	This trend was strongest among younger users. / 這一趨勢在年輕族群最明顯。
Hedge 緩和語氣	tend to; appear to; is likely to; may; to some extent	Remote work appears to improve retention to some extent. / 遠距工作似乎在某種程度上提升留任。
Conclude 結論/建議	In conclusion; To sum up; On balance; It is recommended that…	On balance, cities should prioritise rapid transit. / 整體而言，城市應優先發展捷運。

Speaking / 口說

Purpose / 用途	Signpost / 轉承語	Example / 例句
Start 開場	I’d like to talk about…; The first thing to mention is…	I’d like to talk about a book that changed my routine.
Outline 結構	I’ll describe…, then…, and finally…	I’ll describe where it happened, then why it mattered, and finally what I learned.
Add 補充	also; besides; what’s more; another point is…	Another point is the teacher’s feedback.
Contrast 對比	however; on the other hand; whereas	I enjoy cities; however, I prefer quiet weekends.
Example 舉例	for example; for instance; such as	For instance, my company switched to a four‑day week.
Clarify 釐清	I mean; in other words; what I’m trying to say is…	In other words, it saved us time and money.
Hesitate 停頓	let me think; that’s a good question; I suppose…	Let me think… I suppose the main reason is cost.
Summarise 總結	overall; to sum up; broadly speaking	Overall, technology brings benefits provided we manage privacy.

Listening / 聽力

Audio function / 語音功能	Cues / 提示詞	Strategy / 作答策略
Sequencing	first; then; next; after that; finally	Number the steps for flow‑chart/process items.
Topic shift	now; moving on to; turning to; let’s focus on	Switch attention to the new section on your sheet.
Contrast/correction	however; instead; actually; rather; I mean…	Watch for distractors/corrections in MCQs.
Cause→effect	because; due to; therefore; as a result	Useful for matching and note completion.
Example/emphasis	for example; in particular; the key point is	Pinpoint details asked in notes/tables.
Definition	that is; in other words; means	Clarifies terms for short‑answer/gap‑fill.

Reading / 閱讀

Text function / 文本功能	Signposts / 標誌語	Strategy / 作答連結
Addition	moreover; furthermore; in addition; also	Heading match—group similar ideas.
Contrast/Concession	however; whereas; while; although; despite	T/F/NG & matching—mark the sentence with the fact.
Cause/effect	because; since; therefore; consequently	Summary completion—predict noun/verb type.
Exemplification	for example; for instance; such as; namely	Expect a specific detail for short answers.
Definition/Restatement	that is; in other words; i.e.; known as	Clarifies terminology for gap‑fill.
Sequencing	first; initially; subsequently; finally	Track flow & locate answers in order.
Referencing	this/that/these/those; former/latter; such	Resolve pronouns to avoid choosing wrong noun.

IELTS Writing — Sentence Frames Quick Sheet / 寫作句型速查表

Category / 類別	Frames (EN / 中)
Overview 概述	Overall, X increased while Y declined. / 整體而言，X 上升而 Y 下降。
Upward 上升	X increased/rose/went up by A to B. / X 上升 A 至 B。 X climbed steadily. / X 穩步上升。
Downward 下降	X fell/dropped/dipped/declined by A to B. / X 下跌 A 至 B。 X decreased from A to B. / X 自 A 降至 B。
Stability 持平	X remained stable/constant at N. / X 維持在 N。 X levelled off at about N. / 於約 N 趨於平穩。
Fluctuation 波動	X fluctuated between A and B. / 在 A 與 B 之間波動。 X ranged from A to B. / 介於 A 至 B。
Extremes 高低點	X reached a peak of N in YEAR. / 於 YEAR 達峰值 N。 X fell to a low of N. / 降至低點 N。
Cause→effect 因果	Because…, X fell. Therefore/Consequently… / 因為…，X 下降。因此…
Contrast 對比	However/Nevertheless…; In contrast… / 然而／相反地…
Addition 補充	Moreover/Furthermore/In addition… / 此外／再者…
Comparatives 比較	A was higher/lower than B; A was roughly double B. / A 高/低於 B；A 約為 B 的兩倍。
Hedging 緩和	X tends to/appears to/is likely to… / X 往往／似乎／可能…