Writing isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. There are several instances where essays often appear bland or incapable of captivating the reader. While it isn’t exactly necessary that one should be able to pen out essays with extreme precision, it’s also important to avoid the written material from being too discursive. In an IELTS test though, an essay holds much significance. The relatively huge pool of marks acts as a catalyst that could make or break one’s chances to get the ideal score. Here’s our veritable list of IELTS Writing task tips and tricks that might just help make a difference.
IELTS Writing Task Types
IELTS test takers can choose from either the GT or the Academic variant of the test. The writing task of either variant consists of two parts although there are a few differences worth noting. The overall time limit for the writing portion of the test is 60 minutes.
- The GT version of the Writing Task 1 has the candidate write a letter of Formal, Semi-Formal, or Informal nature.
- The Academic version of the Writing Task 1 requires the candidate to produce a report based on the information they manage to infer from the pie chart, bar graph, table, etc.
Writing Task 2 for either version of the test follows the same format. Test-takers are required to write an essay that matches the tone of the question. This task allows for a lot more creativity and exhibition of one’s writing prowess.
GT Writing Task 1 Details
Task 1 of IELTS GT requires candidates to respond to a given problem in the form of writing a letter either requesting information or explaining a certain situation. The duration that is allotted to this test is 20 minutes and a word limit of 150 words. Moreover, the letter writing section of the test can be formal, semi-formal, or even informal; this depends entirely on the question.
Basic rules to remember:
- Letter writing in GT Task 1 doesn’t need any address or date to be filled in at the start of the letter
- Divide the content of the letter into appropriate paragraphs
- Write the sign-off line on the left side of the page
- Try to keep all the lines in the left –alignment of the page
- The final resolution/conclusive paragraphs are to be shorter than the other paragraphs.
Utilize a strategy to finish the letter within the specified time. For instance:
- Spend 2 minutes to read and understand the task. Try to grasp the objective posed by the question
- Devise a plan of action as to how and what is going to be written. Allotting 3 minutes for this stage seems ideal
- Dedicate 12 minutes to writing the answer; make sure to use the right greeting, state your purpose, specify the request/action, and sign-off.
- Use the remaining 3 minutes to go through the answer and make the necessary changes. Keep an eye out for the tone and language used, as well as the presentation.
Besides having an efficient strategy, one can also make use of a few tips:
- Make use of simple and short statements
- Creative and innovative expressions are a plus
- Convince the reader of your opinions
- A courteous and polite tone is appreciated
- Avoid grammatical and/or spelling mistakes
Academic Writing Task 1 Details
Academic Writing Task 1 requires test takers to provide a graph interpretation. It requires the candidate to analyze the graph, chart, or table and present their inference from it in their own words. The time limit is the same as GT Writing Task 1 with 20 minutes on the clock with a max word limit of 150 words.
Basic rules to remember:
- Give organization to your writing and make it easy to read by using well-spaced paragraphs.
- Use one paragraph each for the Introduction and Conclusion along with paragraphs in between for each data graph that has been displayed
- Use short sentences to combat weak grammar.
- Pay attention to the tenses used in the report
- Do a quick check of the verbs used if you have enough time
Utilize a strategy to finish the report within the specified time. For instance:
- Use 2 minutes to read and understand the task; make sense of the topic, the question, and the requirements
- Allot 3 minutes to plan what is to be written. Devise an Introduction, a Body, and a Conclusion
- 12 minutes, the bulk of the given time should be dedicated to writing the report. Make use of the prepared plan to write the report as efficiently as possible
- Use the last 3 minutes to check your answer; verify the content, the language, and the presentation
Besides having an efficient strategy, one can also make use of a few tips:
- Try and describe a noticeable trend. The changes in values over a period of time can be easily expressed
- If there is only one graph with limited numerical data, it’s to be expected that all the numerical data should be explained
- Likewise, if there are two graphs with a lot of numerical data, it isn’t necessary to provide a detailed explanation of everything
- Refrain from copying any part of the question in your answer although technical terms can be utilized
GT/Academic Writing Task 2 Details
The GT/Academic Writing Task 2 comprises the second stage of the Writing section of the IELTS test. Test-takers of both the GT and Academic variants are required to write an essay. The duration of the essay writing section lasts 40 minutes with an expected word limit of 250 words.
Test-takers are presented with a certain point of view, an argument, or a problem. The issues are of general interest and easily understood by candidates. Besides, the differences mainly lie in the end goal. Candidates who opt for the Academic variant seek admission to universities while those of the GT variant tend to migrate for professional reasons.
Basic rules to remember:
- The common theme of essays are: Opinion, Discussion, Advantage/Disadvantage, Direct Questions, Solutions
- All words are counted even small or repeated words
- Word Count should always be over 250 words
- Use one paragraph each for the Introduction and Conclusion along with paragraphs in between for each argument that’s being made
Utilize a strategy to finish the report within the specified time. For instance:
- Spend 4 minutes to understand the task, the subject and the required information to be presented
- Dedicate 6 minutes to planning the structure of the essay, the arguments involved along with a suitable conclusion
- Have 25 minutes allotted to writing the actual essay? Keep in mind the structure that is to be followed and avoid going off track when trying to elucidate your arguments.
- Spend the last 5 minutes checking the essay text and verifying the veracity of the content.
Besides having an efficient strategy, one can also make use of a few tips:
- State personal preference and provide a passionate argument
- A mixture of simple, compound, and complex
- Use synonyms for providing a variety
- Active voice should be used more than passive voice
- Learning collocations is also useful
- Avoid impulsive writing and repetition of phrases
That’s pretty much all there is on our end. For more similar content visit our blog page here. Let us know in the comments if these tips helped you out on your attempt at IELTS.