The writing section in the IELTS contains two tasks. Writing Task 1 usually contains a diagram of some sort, such as: a graph, a pie chart, a bar chart, a table or a combination of two or more of these items; a diagram of a process; a map; or some other kind of diagram. You have to write at least 150 words and you are advised to spend 20 minutes on this task. There is only one question, so you do not have a choice.
In Writing Task 2, you are asked to write an essay on an academic topic, about which no specialised knowledge is required. The length of the essay should be at least 250 words. Again, there is no choice. This section of the book contains 20 practice exercises for Writing Task 1, 4 exercises for Task 2 with 3 Writing Tests. The exercises all have a Key and for the tasks in the Tests there are model answers. Exercises 1 --10 and Exercise 20 in the Section on Reading will also help you prepare for Writing Task 2. You may also want to look at a b o o k on w ritin g1 by Sam McCarter, published by IntelliGene, 1997.
Hints for Writing Task 1
You should train yourself to spend only 20 minutes on this task and to write the minimum number of words you are asked to produce.
The language is academic and formal, so you need to avoid using informal language.
Many candidates are not very familiar with doing this kind of task. Quite often the difficulty they face lies in interpreting the diagram or data given. There are many publications with statistical data in diagrammatic form in libraries. Even if you do not write a description, you should study some of them and look for patterns of organisation.
It is important that you learn to recognise what 150 words look like in your own hand-writing and that you write at least the minimum number of words that are set. We would also advise you not to write too many words, whether practising at home or in the exam.
Hints for Writing Task 2
Questions to ask yourself
In the examination itself, you will not have time to rewrite your essay. You should, therefore, learn to write in such a way that you can avoid re-writing.
This does not mean, however, that you should not re-read carefully and correct what you have written. As you prepare for the exam, you should re-read and correct each of your essays immediately after you have written them so that by the time you take the IELTS this will be a natural thing to do.
Again, it is important that you learn to recognise what 250 words look like in your own hand-writing and that you write at least the minimum number of words that are set. We would also advise you not to write too many words, whether practising at home or in the exam.
Candidates often want to learn examples of essays that have occurred in the exam. This causes several problems. First, the exam questions are quite long and, while it is possible to have an idea of the general subject, it is often quite difficult to find out the exact focus of the essay question. Students frequently memorise essays they have practised and reproduce them in the examination, not realising that the essay they are writing does not have the same focus as the one on the exam paper. So beware!
More seriously, when you write down something from memory the number of mistakes can increase. Try writing out one of the model essays in the Key for the Tests and see how many mistakes you make!
Below are some questions, you should ask yourself, both while you are writing the essay, and also while you are re-reading and checking.
Section on Writing
Essay title
1. Have I accurately identified the general subject and the focus in the title?
2. Am I clear about the organising word(s) in the essay title, i.e. do I understand exactly what I am being asked to write about?
Organisation
3. Is the structure of my essay clear: are there clear paragraph divisions? 4. As regards the introduction, have I connected it with the title of the essay?
5. Have each of my paragraphs got a clear topic sentence, and does each one deal with one main point? 6. Is my conclusion short and concise, and does it more or less repeat what I have written in my
introduction?
Content
7. Have I kept to the main theme of the essay? Or, have I made a mistake and strayed from the focus by including points and examples that are not relevant?
8. Have I made my points clearly?
9. Have I helped the reader to understand the points I am making by giving clear examples, wherever possible?
10. Am I completing the task I have been set?
11 .Is my essay going to be the right length i.e. more than 250 words?
Grammar
12.1s the structure of my sentences clear throughout, or are some of my sentences too long and over-complicated, making my essay difficult to read?
13. Have I used appropriate and precise vocabulary?
14. Have I checked carefully to make sure that I have avoided making ‘my’ mistakes , i.e. language errors which I usually make in grammar, syntax and spelling.
Ask yourself the questions above each time you write an essay, while you are preparing for IELTS. Then, by the time you take the exam, you should be better prepared.
Section on Writing