IELTS Writing

The Writing Module of IELTS consists of two writing tasks of 150 words and 250 words: Task 1 and Task 2. The Task 1 is different for Academic and General students, but Task 2 remains the same.

Writing Task 1 (Academic)

20 mins | 33% weightage

You are given a visual representation in the form of graphs, charts or table and you need to summarise and explain the information in about 150 words.This task should not be written in the form of an opinion (such as using I, we, us, our).
It should be written in the format of three to four paragraphs.

Example Question:

The diagram shows the stages and equipments used in cement making process and how cement is used to produce concrete for building purposes. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Writing Task 1 (General)

20 mins | 33% weightage

Here, you are asked to write a letter; it could be Formal, Informal and Semiformal:
- An informal letter is usually written to a friend, family member or someone you know personally. These personal letters are mostly invitations, explanations, apologies etc.

- A semi-formal letter is written to an individual who is known by name but has more like a professional or business relation rather than a personal one; eg: your landlord

- A formal letter is usually written to a professional organisation or company or to a person you don’t know and is in a higher position. Eg: Chairperson, CEO etc.

Example Question:

You recently bought a piece of equipment for the kitchen but it didn't work, you phoned the shop but no acton was taken. Write a letter to the shop manager. In your letter - Describe the problem with the equipment - Explain what happened when you phoned the shop - Say what you would like the manager to do.

Writing Task 2 (Academic & General)

40 mins | 67% weightage

Writing Task 2 is where the candidate will have to develop points and examples of their own to the given question. It is considered more of a creative essay. It should have atleast 250 words. There are five different categories of Task 2 Essays:

1)  Agree Disagree Essays

2)  Discuss Both Views Essays

3)  Cause Effect Solution Essays

4)  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

5)  Double Question Essays

‍Example Question (Agree Disagree Essay)

"Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve traffic and pollution problems.To what extend do you agree or disagree?
What other measures do you think might be effective?"

Evaluation Criterias

Writing module of IELTS is assessed based on the four criterias below:

1. ‍Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2): How well the candidate has responded to the question
2. ‍Coherence and Cohesion: How well the essay has been structured‍
3. Lexical Resource: Use of good vocabulary, proper spellings, word formation
4. ‍Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Use of proper grammar and punctuations

Please watch the video below where we give a brief overview of the writing module.

Writing Tips & Strategies

• Order of attempting Writing Questions
  When attempting IELTS Writing, start writing Task 2 first since Task 2 has a weightage of 67% while Task 1 has a weightage of 33%. It will help you avoid spending too much time on perfecting your Task 1 answer.

• Blacklist Strategy
  Use the Blacklist Strategy to avoid repeating mistakes - When you assess your IELTS Writing and get feedback from your trainer, list down all the mistakes you make on a piece of paper. This is your own blacklist.
  During the exam, keep the last 5 minutes aside and think about your Blacklist. Then remove all the blacklisted words/mistakes from your Writing task.

• Chronology in Writing Task 1
  If years are given in Writing task 1, Classify the paragraphs in accordance with the years to avoid grammatical errors as well as to ensure cohesion and coherence.

• Time Management for Writing Task 2
  In Writing Task 2, start writing your first paragraph before thinking too deeply for points. Try to finish General Statement, Paraphrasing, and Thesis statement in 6 minutes. You are also more likely to get points to mind while writing.