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Writing essays is an important part of the Writing section of the IELTS test. Many candidates sitting the test struggle to get the desired score. The reason is obvious: they fail to understand the essay task properly. There are five common types of essay in the IELTS Academic exam:
What do you have to write in each of them? Read this article and you will learn how to unpack the essay task in order to write an appropriate response.
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What you have to do first before you actually start writing an essay is to read the task carefully. You cannot omit this step otherwise you will fail the task and will lose your points for the task achievement criterion. If you look at any IELTS Academic Writing Task 2, you are likely to notice and interesting detail. No matter what type of essay it is, the task will have a statement, a question or several questions to answer, and guidance (or instruction) for you. Let us have a look at the following task:
The statement is the topic of the essay. The questions tell you what you have to write about. The guidance tells you how to write your essay and what to include.
For example, in the task above the topic is “using the Internet to find solutions to health problems is becoming more popular”. You have to write the reasons and consequences of doing so because the questions ask you “Why do people do that?” and “What are the results of such actions?”. You will also have to give details to answer and provide good examples because the guidance asks you to give reasons and include relevant examples.
The questions and the guidance also assist you in understanding what type of essay it is. If you are aware of whether you have to write an opinion or a mixed essay, etc., you will know how to structure it, i.e. the score for coherence and cohesion will be higher.
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This type of essay usually asks you to state the main causes of the problem and discuss what effects it might have. For example:
It can also be worded in other ways:
Statement + Discuss the causes and effects of …
Statement + What do you think are the causes of …? What effect will this have on …?
Statement + Outline the reasons for … and discuss what effects …?
Statement + What are the positive and negative impacts of … and what can be done to minimize the bad effects?
In this type of IELTS essay, you are asked to give your opinion on a given statement. For example:
You will have to clearly state your opinion and develop it without suddenly changing your mind in the middle of the essay, i.e. you have to remain true to what you state in the introduction. You will also have to provide some reasoning and support it with good examples of your own or someone’s experience.
You can come across different wordings of this type of IELTS Writing Task 2 though:
Statement + What is your opinion…?
Statement + Do you agree or disagree…?
Statement + To what extent do you agree or disagree…?
Sometimes at the IELTS exam, you have to answer more than one question. A ‘mixed essay’ is the type of task where you have to write about your opinion and answer another question about another aspect of the same topic. For example:
During the test, always check if the task asks you to give your opinion. Questions about opinion may be very obvious if you look at the previous type of essay. However, there may be some other questions that also ask you to write what you think. They can be worded in the following ways:
Is it a positive or negative trend?
Is this the worst problem that humanity is facing nowadays?
Should the media be controlled in such a way?
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
When you look at them more carefully, you will easily work out that they all require a YES or NO answer, or ask you to choose between the two alternatives.
This task usually looks like this:
Statement + Question 1 + Question 2 +Guidelines
One of the questions is always a question about your opinion. For example:
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In such type of task, you will find a statement that gives you two different views on the same problem. You will have to discuss both opinions as well as give your opinion about the issue. It’s important to support both views with the detail and examples equally no matter which one you choose to approve later in your essay.
As you can see from the sample task above, such type of task usually consists of:
Statement (with 2 opposing ideas) + 2 questions (to discuss both views + give your opinion) + Guidelines (give reasons and examples)
Other wordings might look the following way:
Statement + Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Statement + Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion.
It is likely that you will use the wrong structure for your essay if you misidentify the type of question. Once you have identified the type of essay, use our tips on how to write it.
In this type of IELTS Writing Task 2, you have to analyse the benefits and drawbacks of a particular matter or problem. For example, you can come across such wordings:
Statement + What are the advantages and disadvantages of…?
Statement + Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages…?
Statement + Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.
Generally, we can divide advantages & disadvantages essays into two types:
Type 1 asks you to simply discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Type 2 asks you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages AND give your opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa. We have already written about the essay structure and the main tips on how to write it.
Now, when you know everything about the possible types of questions you might have to answer in IELTS Writing Task 2 and we are sure you can spot them without much effort, it’s time to stick to your IELTS preparation and skyrocket your results.
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You will definitely do better in the Writing section of IELTS Academic if you take some time to familiarize yourself with different types of essays that can appear in the exam, learn and practise useful tips and strategies for each of them.
Students and candidates might often find it difficult to distinguish between two-views-and-opinion essays, opinion essays or advantage and disadvantage essays . However, if you read the task carefully, you will easily identify which type of essay you are supposed to write because questions for two-views-and-opinion essays can be worded in several different ways. For example:
What does this mean? In this type of task, you will have to complete three different tasks:
For example:
The task above looks at two views:
That is why you have to write why people think students should spend equal amount of time on different subjects, and why others consider that it is advisable to spend more time on favourite subjects. Finally, you have to choose one of these opinions and provide reasoning.
It is likely that you will use the wrong structure for your essay if you misidentify the type of the question. It is also one of the reasons why many candidates do not give their opinion, do not provide arguments for both views, or they do not develop both sides of the arguments appropriately, i.e. to an equal extent. These are considered blunders because the question clearly states that one has to give their opinion. Regardless which side you take, give equal attention to both. Providing more weighty reasons for the view you prefer leads to a badly balanced essay and high chances of poor task achievement, i.e. your lower score.
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You might have read about different ways to write a two-views-and-opinion essays but the one we are offering will make you write your essay in a few simple steps.
Step 1. Analyse the task.
As we have mentioned above, you have to read the task carefully. Next, underline the key information in the topic. By doing so you will have a better understanding of what to write about and what you do not need to do.
After that, try to paraphrase the statement for yourself using simple language in order to understand it better.
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Step 2. Map out your essay.
It is important to plan your essay in detail. This will help you outline it properly and provide a good score for the structure and organization.
Since you are going to write about two different views, it is a good idea to brainstorm details and examples to support both sides. These should be reasons to support the views and some examples.
Next, decide on your own opinion. You have to choose whether you support view 1 or view 2. If you can’t choose, go for a balance. Think of details and examples for your opinion as well.
Step 3. Write your essay.
First, write the introduction where you have to introduce the topic, the issue, state your opinion and what will be discussed.
The main body should include 3 paragraphs:
Finally, write the conclusion where you need to summarize views 1 and 2, and restate your opinion.
Step 4. Check your essay.
First of all, pay attention to spelling mistakes. Next, read your essay and look for mistakes you typically make. After that, make sure you do not repeat yourself too much and use proper linking devices to receive a high score for the criterion of Coherence and Cohesion.
READ ABOUT: How to check your IELTS writing
If you use our tips for writing your two-views-and-opinion essay, it will have the following structure:
INTRODUCTION:
|
| MAIN BODY:
Paragraph 1:
Paragraph 2:
Paragraph 3:
|
CONCLUSIONS:
|
In our course , we you will learn how to build all possible types of essays step by step. You will practise brainstorming ideas and writing different parts of the essay, learn useful language to present your ideas and make your essay well-organized and coherent. You will do a lot of writing practice and receive feedback from our IELTS experts. Finally, you will take a mock test that will allow you to feel the taste of a real exam.
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Most questions in the IELTS Academic Writing section fit into a few categories such as opinion essays, discussion essays, problem solution essays, double question essays, advantages & disadvantages essays. What do you have to do if you get the last one? How should you approach advantages & disadvantages essays in the IELTS Writing test? What is the essay structure and the main tips to write it?
You will notice that questions for IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays can be worded in several different ways. However, all of them test your ability to analyse the benefits and drawbacks of a particular matter or problem. For example, you can come across such wordings:
Generally, we can divide advantages & disadvantages essays in two types:
Type 1 asks you to simply discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Type 2 asks you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages AND give your opinion on whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa.
Task 1 does not ask for our opinion, so you should not include this information in your answer. In Task 2, you have to say if the advantages are stronger than the disadvantages. For example, there are a huge number of advantages to learning the news online, but there is one huge disadvantage (reliability and accuracy of information) that stops most people from reading them that way and therefore the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Each of the types of essays requires a different approach.
READ ABOUT: How to link ideas in IELTS essays
There are at least two different ways to write an advantages and disadvantages essay. However, we suggest the best and the easiest ones to complete the task if you get in your IELTS exam.
Do not start writing immediately. First, read the statement and underline key information. This will help you to better understand what you have to write about and what you don’t have to do, i.e. focus on the specific issue.
Next, paraphrase the statement for yourself to understand it better — at this point you can use simple language.
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In both cases you will have to brainstorm the ideas for your essay. Think about the benefits and drawbacks of the issue that you have to write about. Write them down using bullet points. Spend a few minutes on this.
Now, you can choose between thinking about details/examples to illustrate your ideas or starting to write your essay. If you do not have to write about your opinion, you can continue to the next step – writing. However, if you are to give your opinion, think about details/examples to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages, and decide on your opinion as to whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa, or they are equally important. It is important to decide what you think before you start writing.
While writing the first type of advantages and disadvantages essay, where you only have to discuss them, you can keep looking back at the task and your plan to give relevant ideas. Choose the best ones only, i.e. those that you can support with details and provide good examples.
First, write the introduction where you have to paraphrase the statement and write what the essay will discuss. For the second type of essay, give your opinion in the introduction as well.
Next, write the main body:
Finally, write the conclusion where you have to summarise advantages and disadvantages. For the second type of essay, restate your opinion as well.
You should look for spelling mistakes, mistakes that you typically make, repetition of vocabulary and linkers etc. Recently, we have written about how to check your IELTS writing and shared a checklist for efficiently editing your writing. It is the fastest way to improve your band score within a few minutes.
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What will your essay look like if you follow our advice? Here are the two possible essay structures for your advantages and disadvantages essay:
| Type 1 | Type 2 |
| INTRODUCTION:
– Paraphrase of the statement – What will be discussed
MAIN BODY: Body paragraph 1 – Topic sentence for advantages – Advantage 1 + Detail/Example – Advantage 2 + Detail/Example
Body paragraph 2 – Topic sentence for disadvantages – Disadvantage 1 + Detail/Example – Disadvantage 2 + Detail/Example
CONCLUSIONS: – Summary of advantages and disadvantages
|
INTRODUCTION:
– Paraphrase of the statement – What will be discussed – Opinion
MAIN BODY: Body paragraph 1 – Topic sentence for advantages – Advantage 1 + Detail/Example – Advantage 2 + Detail/Example
Body paragraph 2 – Topic sentence for disadvantages – Disadvantage 1 + Detail/Example – Disadvantage 2 + Detail/Example
CONCLUSIONS: – Summary of advantages and disadvantages – Opinion |
In our course, we outline the possible structures of different types of essays, provide real examples and model answers. You will also learn and practise writing different parts of the essays step by step. Finally, you will write your own essays and get immediate feedback from our IELTS experts.
Now that you are more confident about IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays, you can practise with our platform and reach the desired band score.
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One of the main criteria for assessing your writing at the IELTS Academic exams is Coherence and Cohesion, which is 25% of your marks. Besides logically organising information and ideas, using paragraphing, you have to ‘use cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention’. This requirement is taken from the document that IELTS examiners use to score your essay. Cohesion refers to the use of linguistic devices to join sentences together.
Using linking words is a grammatically correct and stylistically effective way to connect ideas and sentences. They are essential for IELTS Writing Task 2, and if you use them, chances are you will get a higher score. However, the examiner will check your range, accuracy and your flexibility of linking words in an essay. Let us look at how the linking words are used and how they add coherence to a sentence.
Linking words and phrases are the tools that make your text naturally or logically connected. Thus, the reader can easily follow your ideas and understand them. Linking words play a very important role in the text:
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Use these words and phrases when you need to introduce opposite ideas in your essay. They can also introduce exceptions to the rules:
These linking words usually link reasons with results. Use them for the solution essay or any essay where you will have to explain consequences or results of something:
READ: IELTS Academic essay writing tips and tricks
When you are giving more details or want to explain your idea further in your essay, use the following phrases:
If you have to write a cause/solution essay in your IELTS Writing task 2, you will need these linking words and phrases to explain reasons and causes for something:
In essays, you have to give a main point, and then support it. If you use these linking words and expressions, the reader (examiner) will know that you are going to present some extra information:
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Use the following expressions to join a condition and its consequence together. They are alternatives for ‘if’ used in more formal contexts, including academic writing:
When writing your essay, it is good to provide examples to support main ideas. Make sure you use these expressions to introduce examples:
Now, have a look at the linking words and expressions in the following essay sample, and think about their functions:
As you can see, we have highlighted all the linking words and expressions in the essay above. In the introduction, the writer presents two opposite ideas. In the next two paragraphs, these ideas are developed, explained in detail, and supported by examples. The author of the essay also writes about advantages and disadvantages of an increasing lifespan, and its consequences that depend on different conditions; this means that he or she models different situations. Finally, we can see that in conclusion, the writer explains the reason why this issue is controversial, and why such a trend is impossible to stop or prevent.
In your essay, show a range of linking words and expressions, and try not to repeat them throughout your essay. If you wrote ‘for example’, next time write ‘for instance’. Use the variety of linking words, but be careful, and only use them when they should be used. It’s a bad idea to stuff your essay with linking words or phrases because the use of these devices must look natural.
Using linking words or expressions is not the only way to make your writing cohesive. In our course, you will learn about other means that make different elements of the text hold together well. You will also keep all your strategies and useful tips in the Knowledge Bank so that you could return to them every time you need. With our new online IELTS Grade course, you will be fully-equipped to score high in IELTS Academic.
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When it comes to IELTS Writing, we want to avoid making typical mistakes. However, shall we care only about spelling, punctuation or grammar? Or are there any other things considered to be mistakes in IELTS essays?
The truth is, it is possible to prevent stumbling when you are still preparing for the exam. Knowing what one should not do is as important as knowing what to do. That is why we have selected 6 most common issues arising when candidates do Task 2 in the IELTS Writing. We will discuss them further and give you some tips on how to deal with them and receive the best band score for your essay.
Usually, the task contains the keywords that tell us what to write about and what things to do in the task. Let’s underline the keywords in the following task. For example:
Nowadays many people in cities live alone. What are the reasons for it? Is it a positive or a negative trend?
If we analyse the task carefully, we will see that it consists of three parts:
Not reading the task carefully might lead to not understanding and not addressing the task further in your essay, i.e. you will not be able to achieve more than band 3. According to IELTS TASK 2 Writing band descriptors, the candidate ‘whose answer is completely unrelated to the task’ or ‘does not adequately address any part of the task’ cannot get a high score. If you aim at 7+, you must ‘address all parts of the task’.
This also means that you have to write only what you are asked to write about in the task, and you should not go off topic. As you can see from the example above, you have to write about ‘people living in cities alone’, but not about ‘big and small cities’ or ‘people living alone’ or ‘living in cities’ etc.
It is not enough only to make your point in the essay, but you also have to explain it. For example, if you write why something happens, explain why it is important and/or give an example of it. Examples help you support and develop your ideas.
Again, IELTS TASK 2 Writing band descriptors clarify that in order to achieve the score higher than 7 a candidate has not only to ‘present a clear position throughout the response’ but also ‘extend and support main ideas’ that are ‘relevant, fully extended and well-supported’.
You can give examples from your own experience. However, write them as if they are about the society or a group of people, not you personally.
For instance:
There are two main reasons for modern city dwellers to stay alone. Firstly, (REASON 1) they tend to devote most of their lifetime to career development and self-improvement. As a result, (EXPLANATION) they become too obsessed with the goals they want to achieve, and there is little time left for private life.
Or
People suffering from a cold, for instance, may be tempted by the promise of a quick recovery in an online advertisement. However, they are not aware of potential side effects of such a drug that may follow.
ALSO READ ABOUT: IELTS Academic essay tips and tricks
It is important to state your opinion in the introduction and restate it in the conclusion of your essay. According to the descriptors, you have to ‘present a clear position throughout the response’, i.e. the reader (the examiner) has to understand what you think and be able to follow your ideas throughout the whole essay. You can also provide short summaries at the end of body paragraphs if it really makes sense.
For example:
INTRODUCTION: Today, many city residents tend to live on their own for a number of obvious reasons, which will be elaborated on in this essay. Personally, I believe that this trend has both upsides and downsides.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
CONCLUSION: To conclude, while I am of the opinion that there are both advantages and disadvantages to living alone in a large city, this trend, for the reasons given above, is likely to develop further.
In IELTS essays, you have to not only present your ideas but also arrange the information and ideas. This also means that the essay should be divided into paragraphs, and each paragraph ‘presents a clear central topic’. Moreover, they have to be logically linked so that the reader (the examiner) could follow them.
While planning your essay, keep looking back at the task to give only relevant ideas, decide on the number of paragraphs. It is also good to brainstorm ideas and details/examples to answer questions, and take notes. Choose only those ideas that you are sure you can develop and explain in your essay. It should consist of:
There are many ways to link your ideas logically and make your essay more coherent. For example:
Daily workouts in a gym are widely considered to be the most effective method of keeping fit. Personally, I partially support this view, as despite having a beneficial effect on human body, such exercise may not suit everyone. In addition, there is a variety of other ways to achieve similar results.
On the one hand, gym classes can bring impressive results in terms of physical development. When performed on a regular basis, such workouts allow people to strengthen their immune system and increase metabolism, thus becoming healthier. Additionally, gym classes help people shape their body, lose excessive weight and, as a result, become more attractive.
This view – refers to ‘Daily workouts … considered to be the most effective method of keeping fit’.
Such exercise – ‘daily workouts’.
On the one hand… – shows us there are two different views/opinions.
Additionally… – adds more information about ‘gym classes’.
As a result… – means you are going to describe the consequences etc.
As you may see, linkers can introduce opinions, add information, show contrast, change topics etc. We use them in almost every sentence. Therefore, it is important to manage them well. In our course, you will learn lots of cohesive devices and practice using them in your essays, keep them in a Knowledge Bank to have at hand.
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If you want to write a good essay, you should avoid repetition and ‘use a wide range of vocabulary’ and ‘use a wide range of structures’ as the descriptors say. This means that it is necessary to pay attention to the vocabulary and grammar you use.
While planning your essay, think of the synonyms that can be used properly and in the correct context for it. However, in some topics we cannot use a different synonym in each sentence. In this case, you have to ‘dilute’ them with other expressions or words. For example:
‘On the one hand, gym classes can bring impressive results in terms of physical development. When performed on a regular basis, such workouts allow people to strengthen their immune system and increase metabolism, thus becoming healthier. Additionally, gym classes help people shape their body, lose excessive weight and, as a result, become more attractive.’
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This is the last and very important step in completing IELTS Writing Task 2. It is also the fastest way to improve your band score because only in five minutes you can correct your mistakes or change sentences you have written. If you are aiming at 7+, you have to ‘produce frequent error-free sentences’, i.e. at least half of the sentences in your essay must not contain any mistakes.
Do check your essay for:
You are able to fix these mistakes, especially if you know the types of mistakes you commonly make.
As you can see, there are many other items to consider when writing IELTS essays. However, all of the issues can be easily tackled, and now you know how to do it effectively. All of them and even more are covered in our IELTS Academic Writing self-study course with detailed analysis, automated instant feedback on writing using artificial intelligence, video comments and a full mock test imitating the conditions of a real exam. You can try the free version to feel the benefits of the course.
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Many test-takers face certain difficulties when describing visuals in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, which leads to typical mistakes. This happens due to not knowing how to prepare and what to avoid during exam preparation. However, these problems can be easily solved. You can improve your IELTS score if you try out our advice.
Andrii Pigariev, one of the authors and coordinators of IELTS Academic Writing self-study course, shares the list of most typical mistakes students and candidates make in IELTS preparation and on the day of the exam, based on his own experience of teaching for IELTS. We are going to discuss the problems that arise for many test takers and students as well as those that can affect the score candidates receive for their IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.
A lot of candidates who fail the exam or receive a lower score do not know what kind of visuals they can face in Task 1 and what to pay attention to in each of them. You will always benefit if you are familiar with all types of tasks. Know the names of the visuals and pay attention to the key features like trends, stages and steps, changes that have taken in places etc.
We have already written about how to understand IELTS visuals.
What kind of information should you include in your response? Firstly, you have to write about figures, i.e. numbers that illustrate changes. Secondly, write about the facts from the chart, such as changes, rise and fall etc.
You might get a penalty if you write about:
— reasons why changes happened;
— your opinion about the situation;
— predict the future of the situation.
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Many candidates start writing their reports the very same moment they receive the task. This is the best thing you can do … to fail or complete the task in the wrong way.
What you have to do is:
— read the description of the visual carefully. If you don’t do so, you might misunderstand some information.
— analyse the chart. Carefully look at the axes, measurements, names of columns, dates, periods of time, trends etc. It will help you choose the vocabulary and grammar for your writing.
— plan how to organize your writing. For example, grouping trends by similarities or differences will help you organize your response more effectively, and lead to a higher score.
— spend 3 – 5 minutes on the things mentioned above. However, if you practice a lot before the exam, it might take shorter time to do these things.
Candidates who do not prepare for the exam, do not report on the main features, and, most importantly, don’t focus on the summary of main features.
Do not just describe the details from the chart because it is only the part of the score. It is not enough to complete the task successfully. Provide the summary because its absence will lead you to a penalty.
If you want to receive band 6+, follow the criteria, which say that you need ‘to present an overview with information appropriately selected’. Unlike band 5, where the candidates simply ‘recount details mechanically with no clear overview’. As you can see, knowing what to write about is an important point to consider.
Sometimes, students or candidates don’t know what kind of information to describe, and they describe everything they see. They also do not know how to organize it.
What you have to do is to organize your response into paragraphs. For example, if you group your trends by similarities and differences, which is a good strategy, you will:
— paraphrase the task in paragraph 1 + overview of main trends;
— write about similar trend in paragraph 2 (e.g. downward trends);
— write about different trends in paragraph 3 (e.g. downward and upward trends).
Before you start writing, you must have a kind of draft of how you are going to describe your response. Without it, the score might be lower. If we do not organize the information, it is difficult for the reader (examiner) to follow it.
The vocabulary for IELTS Writing should be ‘better’, i.e. more specific to the task. The more varied your language is, the higher band you can achieve.
Also, try to avoid repetition. Do not use the same words. Use synonyms instead.
For example:
A: The number of cyclists went up a bit, then went down a bit again and was the same until the end of the period.
B: The number of cyclists first increased insignificantly, then there was a slight decline in figures, followed by a period of stability until the end of the period.
Both sentences describe the same line graph, but B is the example of the better choice of the language.
READ ABOUT: 5 things to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing
Another way to avoid typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is not only to practice but also to check some good examples of responses where you can see how to write and improve your understanding of how to approach the task.
After you have written your own response, it would be good to see how others have done it and to analyse it.
This can be done on our platform where you will find good model answers for each type of task guidance on how to understand the task, how to organize your answer, and what kind of vocabulary to use. As you proceed, you will get the Knowledge Bank filled up with useful language and strategies, and complete the tasks in test-like conditions. Your answers will be checked using AI, and you will receive your score within a few seconds.
Besides, it is a good idea to see some model answers with mistakes to spot them.
This is one of the biggest mistakes candidates commit in the real exam. It happens because they do not have enough time to check their writing, especially if they are not trained to do so.
At the same time, this is a very important step. While writing, we tend not to see our mistakes. That is why it is worth spending 1 or 2 minutes at the end to check your writing. Pay attention to:
Read your response a few times. Each time you read focus on a different aspect.
Practice makes perfect. In order avoid making typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing 1 we recommend:
You will also benefit if you try describing all types of tasks and do it a few times. Such order will help you ease the anxiety on the day of the exam.
Using strategies is all about using things repeatedly. The approach that will help you succeed in IELTS Writing is knowing what to do, how to do it, and practicing.
What is meant here, is the more you practice using the same strategies, the less and less time you spend every time on completing the task. Strategies should become part of your routine.
For example, our platform includes every single type of IELTS Academic Writing task that is followed by a certain strategy — you learn what to do step by step (analyse the task, plan your response, write, and check).
If you would like to improve your IELTS academic writing skills, familiarize yourself with the contents of the course and sign up for a free trial before you get access to the full course.
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READ ABOUT: 5 easy steps to complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 assumes that the candidate will describe one or more graphs, tables, diagrams or even maps. We recommend you to spend no more than 20 minutes and write at least 150 words in this task.
Most candidates do not have any problems with the volume and time to complete the task. However, they can experience difficulties the moment when they first see a visual to be described. The majority of those preparing for the exam think that to describe is to write at least one sentence about each number or each movement of the graph. In fact, this is the biggest mistake. So, how to approach the task, how to understand what is important and what is not — we’ll discuss it further.
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It is very important not to confuse the names of the visuals in English. That is because in the first sentence you will need to write what can be seen from the visual. In your native language and English these words may be ‘false friends’. So, remember:
We also call all these types of images with the English word ‘diagram’. If the task you receive has several visuals, then this type of task will be called a ‘multiple chart’. Most likely, there will be either two or three pie charts, or a graph and a bar chart. For example:
or
In order to complete the task successfully, it is important to read it carefully and study the diagrams. Usually, the text of the task indicates:
For example:
In this case, ‘The graph shows the changes in the popularity of different types of dwellings among families from 2002 to 2012.’ is the indication of what the visual shows. So, we need to ‘summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant’. This is the essence of the task, i.e. to select and describe the main trends as well as compare them. So, is it necessary to write about everything that is shown in the graph? Of course, not.
Each type of visuals has its own main features, i.e. the important information we pay attention to. If we describe everything in a row, we will not be able to make any comparisons. Therefore, we will not complete the task. What is more, it is almost impossible to describe everything in 20 minutes.
If you have to describe tables, graphs or charts, pay attention to the trends reflected in numbers and percentages. There can be a rise, a fall, a stable trend or fluctuation.
If we are talking about the line graph, for example, it is very easy to determine the direction of the trend. Look at the numbers at the beginning and at the end. If they climb up, we have an upward trend, and, if on the contrary, — a downward trend. In addition, the trends can fluctuate.
Sometimes a trend can fall/rise for a while and then change its direction. It is also worth writing about. For example:
READ MORE ABOUT: 5 things to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing
It is also important to pay attention to what each axis — horizontal or vertical — shows us. In the graph above, the vertical axis is a percentage and the horizontal axis is a year. Graphs usually show certain changes that occur over a period of time: past, present, or future. When it comes to the future, it is usually a prediction of a situation. You need to understand this and use the appropriate grammatical structures.
Bar charts can be both horizontal and vertical. Instead of lines, pay attention to the columns and their length or height. By doing so, you will be able to follow the growth, decline or fluctuations of trends. They also have axes, and can show changes that occur over a period of time, as well as various categories — then pay attention to the colour of the columns.
Unlike graphs and charts, tables have no axes. Instead, pay attention to columns and rows. Columns usually have titles. You can use them to find out what the table is about, what period of time, what categories and measurements there are. As a rule, we can follow the trends in the rows.
Talking about the map/maps, you might have to report on settlements at different stages of development/decline. What do we pay attention to here? Of course, we have to find objects that have changed their location, the area that has expanded or decreased, the emergence of new or disappearing of old objects.
And what shall we look for in the process? Of course, these are stages or steps that are performed in this process. It is the sequence that plays the most important role here.
You will find even more life hacks and secrets to successfully complete IELTS Academic Task 1 on our IELTS Academic Writing self-study course platform. With our course you will learn not only to understand each of the types of visuals, but also to describe them correctly. After all, the components of the course include learning strategies, vocabulary and grammatical structures, creating your own Knowledge Bank, and most importantly — checking your writing within seconds with our AI automated system.
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FURTHER READING: 5 easy steps to complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Using a range of sophisticated vocabulary is an important factor that might help to get a higher band in your IELTS Academic Writing. At the same time, it is crucial to know the difference in the register and level of formality when using complex language such as phrasal verbs.
Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English. Native speakers use phrasal verbs without giving them a second thought. However, they become a challenge for non-natives. We might often confuse their meanings and misuse them in the sentences. The reason for this is that they often have more than one definition and more than one context of proper use.
They are multi-word verbs and can be separable or inseparable. They consist of two or three words from different grammatical categories — usually a verb and a particle, such as an adverb or a preposition. When we combine them, these words receive a different meaning, which is frequently considered too informal for academic writing. This is one of the main reasons why we shouldn’t use them in academic writing, as it has to be informative, concise and clear.
If you are not sure if the phrasal verb is formal, informal or neutral, we recommend that you replace it with a single verb equivalent. Here are some common phrasal verbs with the verbs that you can use instead.
1. Leave out — omit
To not include someone or something.
e.g. She was omitted from the list of contributors to the report.
2. Carry out — conduct
To do or complete something.
e.g. More research on the subject needs to be conducted.
3. Come out — publish
To become available for people to buy or see.
e.g. The examination results are published in August.
4. Look at — investigate
To think about a subject carefully so that you can make a decision about it.
e.g. The UN is investigating new methods of population control.
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5. Fill in/out — complete
To write or type information on a document in spaces that are provided for it.
e.g. Companies will encourage customers to complete questionnaires about themselves.
6. Come about — happen/occur
To happen, or start to happen.
e.g. Such a confusing situation occurred.
7. Hand out — distribute
To give something out to several people, or to spread or supply something.
e.g. Washington began distributing money to struggling farmers during the Depression.
8. Make up — constitute
To be or be considered as something.
e.g. The long-term unemployed now constitute a sort of underclass.
9. Put up with — tolerate
To be willing to accept someone or something that is unpleasant or not desirable.
e.g. The country will tolerate a certain number of economic sanctions.
RECOMMENDED: 5 things to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing
10. Find out — discover
To obtain knowledge of something.
e.g. Scientists have discovered how to predict an earthquake.
11. Stamp out — eradicate
To get rid of something that is wrong or harmful.
e.g. The new legislation is intended to eradicate child prostitution.
12. Go up — increase/ rise
To move higher.
e.g. The area has recently become very fashionable and house prices are increasing.
13. Keep up — maintain
To continue to have; to keep in existence, or not allow to become less.
e.g. Several of the teachers were quite unable to maintain discipline.
14. Set up — organise/ arrange
To organise things.
e.g. A fund was organised as a goodwill gesture to survivors and their families.
15. Pick out — select/ recognize
To recognize, find, or make a choice among different people or things in a group
e.g. Over 200 people applied for the job, and we had to select ten to interview.
16. Pick up — resume
To start again after a pause.
e.g. The company resumed production of the vehicle again after a two-month hiatus.
17. Use up — exhaust
To finish a supply of something.
e.g. How long will it be before the world’s fuel supplies are exhausted?
18. Get across — communicate
To manage to make someone understand or believe something.
e.g. This is the message that we want to communicate to the public.
19. Cut down — reduce
To do or use less of something.
e.g. Wearing the correct type of clothing will reduce the risk of radiation.
20. Talk about — discuss
To talk or write about a subject in detail, especially considering different ideas and opinions related to it.
e.g. In this essay, the influence of social media will be discussed.
READ ALSO: Tips and tricks for IELTS Academic Task 2
21. Put forward — propose
To state an idea or opinion, or to suggest a plan or person, for other people to consider.
e.g. A number of theories about the possible causes of cancer have been proposed.
22. Bring about — cause
To cause something to happen.
e.g. The 20th century caused revolutionary changes in our lifestyles.
23. Fall apart — disintegrate
To break into pieces.
e.g. Families and communities disintegrate under the crushing burden of drug addiction.
24. Get along — communicate
To have a friendly relationship.
e.g. It is crucial for co-workers to communicate within the team as well as with the customers.
25. Break down — explain
To explain in more detail, separate into smaller pieces.
e.g. Negotiations may end successfully if both parties clearly explain their expectations.
You will find more useful vocabulary, strategies and secrets for IELTS Academic Writing and will receive your own Knowledge Bank if you try our IELTS Academic Writing self-study course. You will receive more than 80 hours of writing practice, which includes instant feedback from IELTS experts on describing visuals and writing essays.
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Many candidates believe that IELTS General is easier than IELTS Academic. Although some sections might look less complicated, both tests have their own difficulties and peculiarities. For example, texts in Reading section of the general test are quite simple. On the other hand, in Task 1 of the Academic Module Writing section, you need to describe a graph, chart, table or diagram, which means that you actually need more correct answers to get the same band score. We are going to describe the main differences of the Writing section of both modules below.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND YOU TO READ: Which IELTS should you take: general or academic?
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WRITING TASK 1
| IELTS General | IELTS Academic |
| Letter (formal, informal, semi-formal) | Report: one or two tables, flow-charts, maps, pie charts, line graph etc. |
| Timing: You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. | |
| Word count: at least 150 words | |
| In Task 1, candidates have to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining a situation.
In the given prompt, you will see a purpose of the letter and the list of points to cover in it. You have to make sure you cover all of them. Example: 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 *Taken from ielts-exam.net Also, pay attention to the structure of the letter: use proper openings, closing statements, express your ideas in separate paragraphs etc. Style and tone are important depending on whether the letter is formal or informal |
The task requires you to write a summary in response to a particular graph (bar, line or pie graph), table, chart, or process (how something works, how something is done).
In the given prompt, you will see a general statement about the graph or two graphs. You will also see the visuals that may show information about the same topic but focus on different aspects. You will need to analyse what information each chart / graph / table shows and find the relationships between them. Example: The average prices per kilometre of clothing imported into the European Union from six different countries in 1993 and 2003 are shown in the bar chart below. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. *Taken from ielts-mentor.com Your task is to highlight key features and to present the information. You DO NOT NEED to write about all the numbers in the chart and describe every detail. |
| What is assessed? | |
| Depending on the task suggested, candidates are assessed on their ability to:
— engage in personal correspondence, — elicit and provide general factual information, — express needs, wants, likes and dislikes, — express opinions (views, complaints etc.). |
In this task, your ability to select and report the main features, to describe and compare data, identify significance and trends in factual information, or describe a process is tested.
DO NOT express your own ideas or opinions.
|
| Scoring | |
| Task Achievement refers to using appropriate tone and purpose when writing a letter + word count. | Task Achievement refers to presenting key features of the graph, having an overview and accurate data in your report + word count. |
READ ABOUT: How IELTS Writing is assessed
IELTS Writing Task 2 requires you to write an essay of at least 250 words. You should spend no more than 40 minutes for this task. You will see a prompt with a topic and a question to answer in your essay.
Example:
Car ownership has increased so rapidly over the past thirty years that many cities in the world are now ‘one big traffic jam’.
How true do you think this statement is? What measures can governments take to discourage people from using their cars?
In this task, the examiners check your ability to respond by giving and justifying an opinion, discussing the topic, summarizing details, outlining problems, identifying possible solutions and supporting what you write with reasons, arguments and relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. There is only one scoring for all essays: general and academic. The types of essays are the same, so you should use the same techniques for essay writing.
There are minimal differences between the tasks for Academic and General Modules. They are in:
— question difficulty, i.e. in Academic Module, the question is written in a more complicated way;
— topics for essays, i.e. the Academic test covers a wider range of topics unlike General training uses more common topics such as family and relationship, schools, media etc.
Generally, our experience shows that IELTS Academic Writing seems more challenging. That’s why we’ve created an online course that focuses on all kinds of IELTS Academic writing tasks. Register for a free trial here and get access to automated writing check, diagnostic writing, practice tasks, knowledge bank and useful strategies that will help to develop your writing gradually and increase your IELTS score.
Recently we have written about how to write IELTS essay.
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Writing an IELTS essay might seem tough for most candidates. However, one can do it with flying colours if he or she knows how to do it and has a lot of practice before the exam. What should you keep in mind whilst writing an essay? How can you prepare yourself to get a higher score on the day of your Writing test? We are sharing some tips and tricks on IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 below.
What is your biggest fear on the day of the exam? The majority of candidates admit that it is the fear that a question will come up that they cannot answer because they know nothing about it. Others tend to think that IELTS examiners look for some “best possible ideas” that answer the question and they will award the highest scores for this. Neither is true. What you have to do is to answer the question and justify your point using arguments and examples. What is important is the relevancy of the ideas.
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While preparing for IELTS, read more about different kinds of topics that you can come up with at the exam. This is the easiest and the most effective way to get ready not only for Writing but also for the Reading and Speaking sections of the exam. You can do this by reading international newspapers or magazines and by looking at old essay questions and sample answers.
There are also topics that will never appear in IELTS tasks, and these are ones connected to religion, politics and war. Thus, there is no need to research about these.
READ ABOUT: IELTS Academic Writing topics in 2020
While planning your essay, you need to brainstorm ideas about a particular topic or aspect. You will usually have to come up with 2-4 ideas depending on the type of your essay. DO NOT start writing an essay if you have no idea what you are going to write about. Generating ideas is a skill, and you need to develop it.
First, try generating ideas without writing an essay. Start with asking yourself wh-questions about the topic of the essay. For example:
Some people think that it is necessary to travel abroad to learn about other countries, but others think that it is not necessary to travel abroad because all the information can be seen on TV and the internet. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Who thinks that it is necessary to travel abroad to learn about other countries?
Probably young people. They have access to different exchange programs and international internships.
Why?
They don’t think about saving money, because they are still young, and they don’t care about the time when they retire.
Who thinks that it is not necessary to travel abroad?
Maybe their parents or grandparents. They grew up in the times of deficit. They got used to saving money. They think about retirement.
Where?
People in post-soviet countries like Ukraine or Russia. In these countries, older generations often live in between poverty and the air line.
This technique will help you generate some initial ideas. You can also try:
Also remember, if you have too many ideas, choose those that are easy to explain.
When you have come up with the ideas for your essay, be sure you organize them properly in separate paragraphs. Your essay should consist of:
Paragraphs give a clear structure to a piece of writing and they help the reader understand your message. Organise each paragraph around one main idea. Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. If you put your ideas, explanations and examples into a clear structure before you start to write, you will get a higher band score.
READ ABOUT: How to write IELTS essay
Good grammar and accuracy will bring you 25% of the score. Even simple sentences need to be written accurately! Moreover, the highest score you can receive for grammar in IELTS writing if you write only simple and compound sentences is 4 (check IELTS TASK 2 Writing band descriptors). If you aim higher, learn to use a wide range of structures (Passive Voice, Subordinate Clauses, Conditionals, Modal Verbs, etc.), avoid mistakes, and master punctuation. Make sure each sentence you write is complete.
As you know, you will have 40 minutes to complete Task 2. Also, remember that Task 2 gives more to your final writing band and so you should make sure that you have enough time after Task 1 to write an essay.
We recommend that you spend at least 1 or 2 minutes thinking about your ideas and how you are going to present them. The last thing you want to do is to go off topic. Keeping your ideas focused and on the task with an outline will improve your writing. After this, divide the ideas into 3 or 4 paragraphs in a logical order. This will not take you long and the structure that this will give your essay will be well worth the time that you spend doing it. You could follow this timeline to complete the task:
plan – 5 minutes
write – 30 minutes
check – 5 minutes.
If you feel that you need more practice in completing Task 2, improve your writing skills and get an IELTS band score evaluation for your essay, sign up for the IELTS Academic Writing self-study course. You can start with a free trial version or purchase access to the full course and get more than 40 hours of practice, lots of strong examples of IELTS Academic essay model answers, tips and strategies from our IELTS experts.
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READ ABOUT: 5 easy steps to complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1