IELTS WRITING TEST
Great writing skills are necessary and are the backbone of communication, be it in the workplace or in the classroom.

Whether it is writing an important application for a lucrative scholarship or planning out a key presentation for your business team, having a solid set of writing skills will help set you apart and assist you in achieving a positive outcome.

The IELTS Writing test is just the start of assessing your writing skills and your journey to continuous improvement to communicate better in the written word!

  • Interpreting information, statistics and diagrams
  • Summarising and describing
  • Formulating arguments and a point of view
  • Balancing viewpoints and analysing problems
IELTS Writing
Academic
  • Task 1 – Summarization (recommended 20 minutes). In this task, you will be presented with one of the following types of visuals: graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, or combination. The specific topic within these visual types can vary widely, covering areas such as economics, social trends, environmental issues, technology, education, and many other aspects of life. Your task is to summarize the key information presented in the visual clearly.
  • Task 2 – Essay Writing (recommended 40 minutes). In this task, you will be presented with an opinion, argument, or problem, and you will need to write an at least 250 words essay in response. The topics covered are wide-ranging and often relate to current global issues or social trends in education, technology, environment, economy, government, and health.
IELTS Writing
General
  • Task 1 – Writing a Letter (recommended 20 minutes). In this task, you will write a letter of at least 150 words based on everyday situations, requiring a formal, semi-formal, or informal style depending on the context. Common topics include making requests, explaining situations, making complaints, apologizing, thanking someone, making suggestions, giving advice, applying for something, or making arrangements. The question will provide a specific scenario and typically include bullet points outlining the key information to incorporate into your letter.
  • Task 2 – Essay Writing (recommended 40 minutes). In this task, you will be presented with an opinion, argument, or problem related to everyday life or broader social issues. You will need to write an essay of at least 250 words in a formal or semi-formal style, depending on the topic. Topics covered include education, environment, family, health, media, society, technology, and work. The specific question will require you to express your opinion, discuss different viewpoints, analyze a problem and suggest solutions, or evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a particular issue.

IELTS WRITING QUESTION TYPES

| Task 1: Academics

Summarize/Describe/Compare: visual aids are presented and asked to summarize, describe, and compare the information. The main task types can include: 

Line graphs

In Task 1 of the IELTS Writing Academic test, you have visual items, such as graphs and charts, and you are expected to provide a description of them, including data, comparison and contrasts and an overview.


Bar graphs 

Similar to line graphs, bar charts can also display data in a linear way (e.g. from 1990 to 2000 in this case). 


However, data can also be categorised in a non-linear way such as below: 



Pie charts

Pie charts normally have figures displayed in percentages and it is common to see tasks where there are 2 or more of them.  Similar to bar graphs, they can be categorised in linear or non-linear ways.  

The charts below show the percentage of second language classes taken by Australian secondary school students in two different cities in 2017. 

 

Tables of data 

Sometimes data can be displayed in table form, where it can be categorised in both linear or non-linear ways, similar to bar graphs and pie charts.  The data can be displayed in numerical or percentage form.  

The table below shows the number of registered junior players in 4 different types of football in an Australian city in 2015 according to 3 different age groups.

Combination

Besides these individual forms of displaying data, you may find there could be a combination of graph types together, such as a line graph and a pie chart.  

The diagrams below show the average cost of 3 different types of media device over a period of 6 years, plus their payment method for these devices according to 4 age groups in 2020.  

As you can see in this particular question, the time reference can also include future projections (the line graph continues until 2026).


Process

Sometimes you may be asked to describe a process.  These can be either of something that is man-made or something that occurs in nature.  Take note that a process task has a starting point and ending point (make sure you mention all steps in the process). Process questions also need to include an overview.   


Maps

In tasks that ask you to compare and contrast maps, they can either be of an indoor space (e.g. a floor plan) or an outdoor space (e.g. buildings, roads, nature, etc.).  It is normal to have a task that shows maps with two different dates: 

  • Two dates in the past (e.g.  1966 & 2016) 
  • A map in the past and a current map (e.g. 2016 and present) 
  • A map in the past or present compared to something that is projected or planned in the future (e.g., present and 2032)   


The diagrams below show the features of the town centre of Trentville in 1966 and compares them to the changes that could be seen in 2016. 


| Task 1: General

Letter Writing: write a letter requesting information, explaining a situation, making a complaint, etc. The style can be formal, semi-formal, or informal. Common purposes include making requests, explaining a situation, apologizing, asking for advice, making arrangements, etc.

Formal

Informal

Letter of complaint (e.g. personal, business, recent, experience, product)

Letter of invitation (e.g. party, dinner, celebration)

Letter of request (e.g. refund, repair, advice, reservation)

Letter of request (e.g. asking questions, asking for advice, asking for help)

Letter of enquiry (e.g. information request, booking)

Letter of thanks or appreciation

Letter of recommendation (e.g. job, colleague)

Letter of suggestion (e.g. suggesting ideas, plans, solutions)

Letter of suggestion (e.g. suggesting ideas, plans, solutions)


Opening paragraphs must be written with a clear purpose:


Formal letter

Informal letter

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with a product I have purchased recently and to request a full refund.

Dear John,
I was so pleased to hear that you are planning on visiting my country, so I’m writing to give you some travel tips and advice before you book your trip.


A formal letter contains: 

  • Longer sentences that use passive language (be + past participle) 
  • Modals (e.g. The broken light needs to be fixed to ensure that the customers who use this facility have adequate visibility of their surroundings.)  


An informal letter is: 

  • Conversational 
  • Can include contractions (e.g. can’t) and more direct speech (e.g. Can you fix the light in the kitchen, so I don’t have an accident?)

The table shows some examples of formal and informal vocabulary and structures that you can use in your IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 response:

Formal vocabulary and structures

Informal vocabulary and structures

Request

Ask

Purchase

Buy

Could

Can

Would

Will

At your earliest convenience

When you are free

Respond

Write back/ reply

Cannot

Can't

Yours sincerely/ faithfully

Best wishes/ love

Futhermore

And/ also

Can I suggest

Can I tell you

As you described above

As I mentioned before


And finally, remember that the greeting and the closing salutation of an IELTS General Training, Writing Task 1 letter needs to match the style. For example: 

  • Dear Sir/Madam -----------------------> Yours faithfully 
  • Dear John -----------------------> Best wishes

| Task 2: Academics and General

While both IELTS Academic and General Training Writing Task 2 involve writing an essay, the key difference lies in the topics and the required level of formality. Academic Task 2 focuses on academic and scholarly subjects, demanding a more formal and complex writing style. General Training Task 2, on the other hand, covers everyday life topics and allows for a less formal tone. 

When answering an IELTS Task 2 question, it is important to read the question carefully and to answer it relevantly. There are a number of different question types that appear for Task 2 in the Writing test, so it is very important to understand what the question means so that you fully address the task you are given.

Remember that the examiner will assess how thoroughly you address the task in the Task Response criterion, so it's vital that you respond to the question directly and clearly. We realise that you work hard when preparing for the IELTS test and you might memorise essays that match certain prompts.

If you try and answer a question with a formulaic response (a learned response that closely matches the question), your essay will not address the task appropriately and you will lose marks.

Rather than trying to match your answer to an essay-type category (e.g. advantages/disadvantages, causes/solutions), learn how to interpret what the question is asking, so you answer it relevantly.

  • Opinion Essays (Agree or Disagree): State your opinion and support it.
  • Discussion Essays: Analyze two different perspectives and present your own. 
  • Advantage and Disadvantage Essays: Discuss the pros and cons of a topic. 
  • Problem and Solution Essays: Identify issues and suggest solutions. 
  • Two-Part Questions (Direct Questions): Answer two specific questions related to a topic.


IELTS question types are varied, so it is important to focus on the question prompt. Read through the following table which shows some common essay question types.

Essay type

Sample prompt

Opinion essay

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement/opinion?

Discussion essay

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Multi-part essay

Why is shopping so popular? What effects does its increase in popularity have on individuals and society?

Multi-part and opinion essay

What form do these problems take? Do the problems outweigh the benefits?

Advantage/disadvantage essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of...?

Positive/negative essay

Is this a positive or negative development?

Cause/solution essay

What are the causes of these problems and suggest solutions?


Agree / Disagree Essay

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children). To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Disadvantage vs Advantage

International tourism has brought enormous benefit to many places. At the same time, there is concern about its impact on local inhabitants and the environment.Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages?

Opinion Essay

In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care.Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family?
Frequently Asked Questions
IELTS writing is judged by four criteria across two tasks. Task Achievement or Response measures how well you address the prompt, while Coherence and Cohesion assesses the organization and flow of your writing. Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy evaluate your vocabulary and grammar skills, respectively. Task 2 contributes twice as much to the final writing score as Task 1.
The IELTS Writing sub-test is scored by trained examiners based on four equally weighted criteria for both Task 1 and Task 2 mentioned above. For each task, you receive a band score from 1 to 9 for each criterion. The final writing band score is the average of these four scores, with Task 2 carrying twice the weight of Task 1 in the overall calculation. Examiners use detailed band descriptors to assess performance at each band level, ensuring consistent and fair evaluation of your writing ability.