IELTS General Writing Examples 2023

IELTS general writing consists of 2 tasks of 150 and 250 words, respectively. Also, there are only 60 minutes allotted for this section of the exam. In task 1, candidates have to respond to a particular situation. But for task 2, candidates have to write by providing a point of view, problem or argument. A writing task is marked based on 4 parameters – 

• Range of grammar and its accuracy.
• Lexical resource.
• Response to a task.
• Cohesion and coherence. 

To score a higher band in the writing section, candidates can check IELTS General Writing Examples.

Overview of Writing Task 1

In IELTS GT Task 1 writing, a candidate is asked to write a letter. This letter is a response to a given problem, and the candidates have to request information or have to ask for an explanation concerning the problem. It is advisable to spend around 20 minutes for Task 1 writing around 150 words. Through Task 1, a candidate is judged on their ability to – 

• Express their likes, dislikes wants and needs.
• Express their opinions such as views, complaints etc. 
• Providing factual information. 
• Engaging with personal correlation. 

Also Read: IELTS Writing Task 1- Tips, Essays & Practice Test Online In 2022

Types of Letters Asked in IELTS Task 1 

In IELTS general writing Task 1, examiners ask 3 types of letters – 

• Informal letter. 
• Formal letter.
• Semiformal letter. 

These types of letters have certain differences, and the outlines given below will help a candidate decide the right style of writing a letter. The outlines are described below –

Informal Letter	Formal Letter	Semi-formal Letter
The candidate knows the person personally.	The candidate doesn’t know the name of the person.	A candidate knows the person, but they are not close to that person.
Ending with – Take care, All the best, See you soon etc.	Ending with – Yours faithfully.	Ending with – Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely.
Candidates name – Ravi (without title and family name).	Candidates name – Mr Ravi Ray (with title and family name).	Candidates name – Ravi Ray (without title).
Greetings – Dear Ram, Dear Mom etc.	Greetings – Respected Sir, Dear Sir etc.	Greetings – Dear Mr Ray etc.
The tone of this letter is informal.	The tone of this letter is formal. A candidate must remember that they should be polite while writing this type of letter.	The tone is mostly polite. A primarily formal tone is used; a few lines might be o the informal side.

IELTS provides free general training practice questions with samples. Aspirants can take a look at these samples for a better understanding. These examples are highly beneficial for a candidate to know the overall standard of writing for this test. For IELTS general practice test, candidates can also check free writing tests for IELTS general training. 

IELTS General Letter Writing Tips 

One of the primary ways to score in letter writing is by using the ODAC formula. ODAC stands for opening, details, action and closing. An examinee has to use all of these sections in his/her writing appropriately for a high IELTS band.  

Opening 

For a candidate, the first thing is to understand the type of letter he/she is asked to write. It is possible that an applicant is asked to write a letter to a professor or a manager or even a family member. So, the tone and framing of each letter will be different. Secondly, understanding the purpose of the letter is vital. The question a candidate needs to ask themselves is why I am writing this letter? What does the question ask me to frame my letter about? The given question might ask to write for an invitation, a complaint or even an apology letter. In formal letters, candidates must address the intention of the letter directly. For example, they can directly start like ‘I would like to invite you…..’ or ‘I am writing to inform you about…..’ etc. Examiners prefer students who write the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph of the letter. Candidates should also use the appropriate tone while writing a letter. 

Details

In IELTS General training, a candidate is provided with 3 bullet points. It is mandatory for them to address all these points. Also, it should be remembered that a candidate might have to write two things under on bullet.Furthermore, every bullet must have a dedicated paragraph to itself. The first line of this paragraph should convey the primary idea of the letter and supporting ideas accompanied by a few examples in the next few sentences. Also, the last line of each paragraph should have a transition sentence for connecting with the next paragraph. 

Action 

The final bullet that is mentioned in the question will specifically ask the candidate to provide any suggestion or direction. More importantly, it is an action-oriented pointer. Hence, the last paragraph of a letter must convey the message of what they are going to do or what the reader of the letter should do.  Again, the tone of the letter should be noted. Whether it’s informal or formal, the tone should be uniform throughout the letter. Additionally, being informal doesn’t synonymously means using abbreviations in a letter or using SMS language.

Closing 

Composing the letter is a vital part, and a candidate should give proper focus on that.  For formal letters, the closing styles are ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’, but for informal letters, candidates can use ‘Warm regards’ or ‘Best regards’. Most importantly, a letter with an unconventional ending such as ‘Thanking you will fetch a lower band score. So, it is important to use a conventional style of closing while composing a letter. 

Overview of Writing Task 2

For task 2, candidates are given a problem, point of view or argument. Depending on the question, the candidate has to write an essay with at least 250 words within 40 minutes. Usually, there are 5 main types of essays – 

• Discussion essays.
• Opinion essays. 
• Advantages and Disadvantages of essays. 
• Problem essays.
• Double question essays. 

For writing task 2 essay, a candidate can use this basic structure of essay –  

• Introduction. 
• Paragraph 1.
• Paragraph 2.
• Conclusion. 

Now, for the ease of candidates, details on each essay type and tips to write are provided. 

Also Read: IELTS Writing Task 2 – Tips, Essays & Practice Test Online In 2022

IELTS General Essay Writing Tips 

Discussion essays 

In this type of essay, a candidate has to discuss both sides of an argument. Questions might also ask the opinion of the examinee. The most fruitful way to approach this question is to choose a particular point of view and disagree with the other side. Also, it is important to produce both sides of an argument and to talk about the part a candidate disagrees with.

Opinion Essays 

Opinion essays are also called ‘argumentative’ or ‘agree – disagree’ essays. In the question, a statement will be given in the first part, and the examinee will have to give an opinion about that statement. Note that some key tips for scoring high are to choose one side of an argument. Additionally, they have to state their opinion clearly in the introduction and will have to maintain it throughout the essay. Also, adding sufficient reasons for the view is beneficial. 

Advantages & Disadvantage Essays

In this type of question, the first part will be a statement. Then the candidate will have to answer both sides of the statement. While answering these questions, candidates can make 4 paragraphs, where the first and the last paragraph will be the introduction and the conclusion. But, the middle two paragraphs will be the advantages and disadvantages. 

Problem essays 

These essays are also called ‘problem – solution’ or ’causes – solution’ essays. To write these, a candidate must remember that they shouldn’t list cause and solution in galore. They are advised to from two or three causes and then to list the solutions. Also, it is important to note that most candidates make a full list of causes/solutions they can think of. This is a trap an examinee should avoid. Rather a candidate should focus on making make a list of two or three and interlinking those pointers. 

Double Question Essays 

This ‘direct question’ or ‘two questions’ essay has one given statement followed by ‘two questions’. Candidates have to answer both questions, and they should be cautious not to write a lot of ideas about the questions. 

IELTS General Task 1 Topics

For IELTS general training writing task 1, examiners might serve as candidates to write a letter where they have to write a letter to a manager. For example, consider a topic like, ‘Write a letter to a manager of a theatre about an overcoat you have left behind. In your letter – 

• Describe your overcoat
• Describe your seat
• Explain what you want to be done

Another example would be – ‘You own an antique item that you think is valuable and would like to sell it. Write a letter to the manager of an antique shop.’In your letter – 

• Detail how you located the shop
• Describe the item that you want to sell
• Say the desired price of the item

Additionally, a topic might be given to a candidate who needs them to suggest a few pointers to improve facilities in a library. Also, for IELTS GT writing task 2, there is a huge genre of topics. Topics might include education, equality, globalisation, technology, environment, law and order, travel and transport and others. For a high score, it is important for all candidates to practice as much as they can to hit their desired band. Also, noting IELTS General Writing Examples and practising by keeping the format and pointers in mind can also fetch a high band score. 

Conclusion

As it is no secret that rising competition in foreign universities makes students more aware of band scores. Also, hitting the minimum band score might not be enough for admissions. Deserving candidates should be aware of the rising fee structure at foreign universities; thus, many meritorious candidates give up the plan to study abroad. Here at Leap Finance, we assist students in fulfilling their dream to get selected to the most sorted universities throughout the globe by providing financial assistance. 

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