The first task in the writing section for General IELTS is the writing task 1. In this task, you will be given a situation and you must respond to it in the form of a letter written in your own words. You have 20 minutes to complete task 1 and need to write down around 150 words.
The situations that can be given to you that you will need to respond to can be:
- Writing to a college representative regarding your college accommodation
- Writing to your new company about problems you are facing etc.
This task requires that you respond in a personal/semi-formal/formal style of writing. It is a letter that you will be writing, but you are not required to write any address at the top of your response.
The type of writing that you choose will depend on who are being asked to write to. If it is someone you do not know or someone who is a superior to you, then you must write formally. However, if you are writing to a friend or a colleague, then you can write in a personal style of writing.
This task is the easier of the two tasks you will be asked to do, so of the 60 minutes you are given for the entire writing section, you must spend less than 20 minutes on the task 1. This will ensure that you are leaving enough time to give the answer for task 2, which carries more marks than task 1. Your marks will be affected if you write less than 150 words for task 1, however there is no penalty for writing more than 150 word. It would still cause you to lose time for task 2, so it is advised that you stick to the 150-200-word limit.
STRATEGIES
- To begin with, you must identify the type of letter you are writing based on who you are addressing it to. Decide whether you require personal or formal style of writing. Personal or informal letters include letter to thank a friend, invite someone to a personal event, asking for help etc. Formal letters include applications to job, requesting something from a manager, writing a complaint to a bank etc.
- Your entire style of writing needs to match. You cannot start of writing a formal letter and make it a semi-formal or personal letter by the end. This means you need to make sure you opening and closing statements are done well.
- Learn common phrases used in mails or emails and use them appropriately. This can save some of your time and improve your marks in the vocabulary criteria of grading.
- Practice writing letter weeks prior to your exam to make sure you know the format of writing very well. In addition to that, learn the spellings of common words used in English letters so you do not make any mistakes.
Based on the type of letter you are provided with in this task, you will be awarded marks bases on how well you can:
- Request and provide information
- Express your opinions
Scoring
You are marked based on 4 measures:
- Task achievement – This standard assesses if you meet the 150-word limit provided by the question. It also includes your ability to make the letter achieve what its purpose is.
- Coherence and cohesion – Coherence and coherence evaluates the clarity and fluency of your writing, as well as how you organise ideas and information. It judges your ability to put your thoughts in a logical order and use a variety of cohesive techniques (such as linking words, pronouns, and conjunctions) as needed.
- Lexical resource – The range and variety of vocabulary you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
- Grammatical range and accuracy – The range and variety of grammar you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
For IELTS Writing mock tests, practice questions and practice tests online, please visit https://oneaustraliagroup.com/ielts-coaching/.
For further assistance and training in PTE, you can get in touch with us by contacting us(link to contact us page) or leave a message with your name on WhatsApp on +61466466603, and we will get back to you!
GENERAL WRITING TASK 2
In the second task in the writing section of the General IELTS, you will be given an argument, problem, or an opinion. You will need to discuss this statement further, offering an introduction, body and a conclusion and write a discursive essay pertaining to the topic. You have around 40 minutes to answer this question and need to write 250 words.
You answer must include all the important issues or key points raised in the topic you have to write about. The topics are commonly of general interest. For example, “how can the problems facing our environment be solved” You must provide solutions and back it up with enough evidence and personal opinions and examples can be included.
This task requires that you respond in a semi-formal style of writing. Use examples that are directly related to the topic and have enough information to support your arguments.
This task requires more attention than the first task, as it is more challenging and contributes more to your overall writing score. You should try to complete this task in under 30-35 minutes, so you can leave 5-10 minutes to do a final check of both your writing responses. Do not write less than 250 words, this will lead to a loss of marks. There is no penalisation for writing more than 250 words, but it will be futile to write a lot and not be able to check the answer.
STRATEGIES
- Read the question very well before you start your response. You must know exactly what the question is asking from you, so you can write according to what the examiner will be looking for. If you answer the question partially or write without understanding what is needed, then you will be unable to score anything higher than a band 5 or 6.
- Identify what kind of question it is; whether it is asking you to discuss a topic, or provide details about it or argue for and against a topic etc. After you are clear on that, look at the different keywords in the question.
- Spend the first 2-3 minutes in analysing the question, then spend 5 minutes on planning your response. Students you write without planning tend to get lower marks as compared to those who write strategically and in an organized manner. This can save you time so you don’t have to go back and correct anything.
- Make sure to write it in a normal essay format. This includes an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The introduction paragraph is just telling the examiner what you plan on writing about. In the body paragraphs, you must provide more detail. Write down your main points and add any supporting detail to these points, including examples. The conclusion must be a short summary of everything you highlighted in your body paragraphs.
- The best way to get high scores for IELTS writing task 2 is by practise. You will need to provide excellent structure, vocabulary and grammar to get a good score. You must also get relevant feedback on your practise so you know where you need to work harder.
Based on the type of question you are asked in this task; you will be awarded marks bases on how well you can:
- Provide facts and information
- Deliver solutions
- Provide an opinion and justify it.
- Evaluate any argument and discuss ideas related to it.
Scoring
Suggested text:
You are marked based on 4 measures:
- Task response – This standard assesses if you meet the 250-word limit provided by the question. It also assesses if you are able to develop your arguments well in accordance with what is asked in the question.
- Coherence and cohesion – Coherence and coherence evaluates the clarity and fluency of your writing, as well as how you organise ideas and information. It judges your ability to put your thoughts in a logical order and use a variety of cohesive techniques (such as linking words, pronouns, and conjunctions) as needed.
- Lexical resource – The range and variety of vocabulary you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
- Grammatical range and accuracy – The range and variety of grammar you have used in your response as well as how accurately you have used them.
For IELTS Writing mock tests, practice questions and practice tests online, please visit https://oneaustraliagroup.com/ielts-coaching/.
For further assistance and training in PTE, you can get in touch with us by contacting us(link to contact us page) or leave a message with your name on WhatsApp on +61466466603, and we will get back to you!
