IELTS Writing
IELTS tests candidates' ability to produce two quite different pieces of writing in a fairly short period of time. The test is divided into two parts and candidates are allowed 60 minutes to complete both parts.
General
The IELTS General Training Writing test takes 60 minutes. Candidates have to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words, as in the Academic module. However, task 1 is always a letter, while task 2 is an essay based on a given topic. The topics of the questions will be of general interest, and no specialist knowledge is required. For example, topics can include travel, accommodation, current affairs, shops and services, health and welfare, health and safety, recreation, social and physical environment.
IELTS Writing Task 1
In task 1, candidates are asked to write a letter which may need to be semi-formal or formal in tone in response to a given problem or situation. Candidates will be asked to include information relating to three bullet points in the question. Candidate answers should be at least 150 words in length for this task.
Plan Your Answer
Step 1) Analyse the task
- Who will receive the letter?
Organization or private individual - Relationship
Someone you... know well, ...a little or ...don't know - Style and tone
Formal or Personal - Friendly or Neutral
Step 2) Generate ideas
- Explain the important event
tennis competition / great honour to play - Apologise
and give justification for cancellation (need to practise) - Suggest alternatives
can take time off later / can use same airline ticket
Step 3) Think it through
- Language needed?
for apologising / explaining / suggesting new arrangements - Verb tenses
present / past / present perfect / future - Use of modals
Can / Could you...? / Would it be possible...? - Checking possibility
Is it possible for you to... - How to start?
(informal) How are you? - How to finish?
Best wishes. / All the best.
Remember to indicate the need for a response (I'm looking forward to hearing from you)
General Writing Sample Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You arranged to visit a friend in Canada but an important event at home now means that you must change the dates of the visit.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- explain the important event
- apologise for the situation
- suggest a new arrangement
Write at least 150 words.
Task 1:
Model answer
Using verb forms, complete this sample answer.
Dear Ana,
How are things with you? I'm afraid something ________________ come up here which ____________ probably _______________ my visit to Canada. Last week I ___________ ____________ to play tennis for my regional team in a national tournament. It was completely unexpected. I'm sorry but this probably means that I_______________ be able to visit you for the first week of January, as we planned. I must stay here and practise until the tournament_______________ , later that month.
I wonder if it ________________ possible for me to visit you later in the year. I can take some time off in early March and my air ticket can be _____________ with no problem. Is March a possibility for you?
Please ______________ and ________________ me know what your reaction _________________ . I'm sure you realise that it's an honour to be selected to represent your region and so I ________________ to miss this great opportunity. I hope you .
I'm _____________________ forward to hearing from you,
Best wishes,
Fernanda
(174 words)
the answers to this question will be at the bottom of our lesson....
Academic
The IELTS Academic Writing test takes 60 minutes. Candidates have to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words. In task 1, candidates are asked to describe some information in the form of one or more bar charts, line graphs, diagrams, pie charts or tables. In task 2, candidates are given an opinion, a problem or an issue to discuss.
IELTS Writing Task 1
In the first part, candidates will be given a task based on some information, presented in graphic and diagrammatic form. Candidates are expected to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on the information provided.
Example
IELTS Writing Task 1
Line graphs
A line graph shows how the value of something changes over time. The vertical axis shows quantities, e.g. numbers, percentages or money. The horizontal axis shows different points in time, usually months or years. Different quantities measured at different points in time can be joined using a continuous line to show a trend or how these quantities change, e.g. increase, decrease, or stay the same. More lines (different colours or styles) can be used for different categories. The key explains which categories are being measured.
Related Topic: Describing a line graph
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph gives information about the number of Iranian, Greek and Turkish students who enrolled at Sheffield University between 2005 and 2009.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Example answer:
Read this example with your tutor.
Model answer
The diagram shows the enrolment of Iranian, Greek and Turkish students at Sheffield University from 2005 to 2009. During this period, enrolment of both Iranian and Turkish students rocketed sharply. However, Greek admissions dropped significantly with numbers being almost the reverse of those for Iranian students.
Iranian numbers grew steadily up to 2008 followed by a sharp rise reaching almost 160 students in 2009. Similarly, numbers of Turkish students showed steady growth throughout the period from about 20 in 2005 to over 120 in 2009. In contrast, enrolments of Greek students decreased dramatically from a high of 180 students in 2005 to just about 70 in 2007. Numbers then levelled off throughout 2007 finally dropping again to a low of around 45 in 2009. A further point of interest is that from 2007 to 2008, enrolments from all three countries were very similar, the average difference being approximately 20 students.
Overall, the graph highlights a considerable difference between growth in Iranian and Turkish enrolments but reduction in Greek enrolments.
(169 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2
In task 2, candidates are asked to discuss a topic in response to a statement which presents a particular point of view, argument or issue. The task requires candidates to write a discursive piece of writing in which the question will typically ask them to discuss factual information, discuss a problem and present solutions, evaluate ideas or justify opinions. Candidate answers for task 2 should be at least 250 words in length.
IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Writing Tips
- You only have a few minutes to plan your answer. You need to get used to writing short notes. As far as possible, write just one word to remind you of each idea you have. This way you maximize your thinking and planning time.
- You need some variety of ideas. An answer based on only one or two ideas is likely to be weak.
- You may not have very many ideas, but 250 words is not a long essay.
- You need to choose your best arguments and drop the weaker ones.
- Make your points stronger by giving examples to support them.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The most important consideration when choosing any career or job is having a high income.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Example answer:
Read this example with your tutor.
Model answer
It is widely accepted that, for most people, their daily working lives will not be spent in their dream jobs. Despite this, I do not feel that people should instead prioritise becoming a high earner above all other concerns.
To begin with, I strongly believe that people need stimulation in their daily working lives in order to feel a sense of reward. Very few of us can go through an entire career staying in a position or an industry that we find boring purely for the financial incentive. Secondly, there are so many people who see their working life as a search for fulfilment and contentment in helping others, rather than a search for wealth. It seems unlikely that the priority for, say, every nurse or teacher in the world is to become well-off, and jobs such as these are rarely extremely well-paid.
Despite this, some would argue that those people who have families to support should always prioritise earning a high income; after all, it means securing their children's future. Others point out that, as the job market becomes increasingly unstable across the globe, it is vital to earn more and therefore save more. However, I do not agree that a good salary should necessarily be the number one concern for everyone. Too many people become preoccupied with the next pay rise or career move, and eventually become unhappy or even depressed, neither of which helps them to save or to provide for their family.
In summary, earning as much money as is humanly possible should not be anyone's main concern. Granted, it arguably brings financial stability, for individuals and for their families, but it is simply not worth tolerating a lifetime of unhappiness at work purely for the money.
(291 words)
Marking
In IELTS writing test you are assessed on:
Task Achievement (in task 1): This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly your answer meets the requirements of the task.
Task Response (in task 2): This assesses your ability to formulate and develop a position in response to the prompts given in the task.
Coherence and Cohesion: This assesses whether your writing makes logical sense and whether the different parts of your writing are connected to each other correctly.
Lexical Resource: This assesses your ability to use different vocabulary appropriately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This assesses your ability to use different grammatical structures appropriately and accurately.
The overall result is translated into a score on the IELTS nine-band score.
What can I do to improve my performance at the Writing test?
- Make sure you answer everything that is asked in the question, and that you have written the number of words required. Remember you do not lose marks for writing more but you do lose for writing fewer words than required.
- This is not a test of your knowledge. You can state your opinions, provided you are able to give evidence to support them.
- Don’t go off topic. Underline key words in the questions to help you know exactly what is required in the answers.
- Support the points you make with examples (from your own experiences if possible) or data.
- Write neatly and clearly and check for mistakes before you submit your answers.
- Write in complete sentences. Do not use bullet points and do not use short forms of words.
- Do not repeat the same ideas just to reach the word count needed.
- Task 2 - Make sure you present a balanced point of view giving both the pros and cons of the statement you are asked to discuss.
- Spend more time on Task 2 – you have to write at least 250 words for this. Plan your answer, giving an introduction, conclusion and writing each new idea in a new paragraph. You may want to do a brief rough draft before you begin your answer.
- Do not use memorised answers. They probably won’t be relevant to the question asked and examiners can recognise them easily.
- Do not begin by copying the questions – especially in Task1 where you may have the description of data or bullet points for your letter. This is a waste of time as these parts are not included in your word count.
- Make sure the tone you adopt is consistent and relevant to the task.
- Use linking words to ensure that your ideas flow smoothly.
Avoid common mistakes:
- Spelling (English is often not written the same way it is spoken)
- Punctuation (e.g. basic errors with using capital letters and full stops)
- Not using enough paragraphs and not clearly dividing them.
Task 1 Answer:
How are things with you? I'm afraid something has come up here which will probably affect my visit to Canada. Last week I was chosen to play tennis for my regional team in a national tournament. It was completely unexpected. I'm sorry but this probably means that I won't be able to visit you for the first week of January, as we planned. I must stay here and practise until the tournament begins, later that month.
I wonder if it is possible for me to visit you later in the year. I can take some time off in early March and my air ticket can be changed with no problem. Is March a possibility for you?
Please write and let me know what your reaction is. I'm sure you realise that it's an honour to be selected to represent your region and so I don't want to miss this great opportunity. I hope you will understand.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you,
Best wishes,
Fernanda
(174 words)
