IELTS Writing Task: Best Tips To Begin With

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The IELTS writing task 1 and IELTS writing task 2 are important sections of the IELTS writing exam. If you are looking for some IELTS advantage tips along with some helpful information to start preparing for the IELTS writing tasks, then we believe this article will be particularly helpful for you.

Today, we will discuss everything you need to know about the 2 IELTS writing tasks so you can prepare for them in accordance.

IELTS Writing Test Format:

  • The IELTS writing test is 60 minutes long, comprising 2 tasks: IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing Task 2
  • The two types of IELTS writing tasks are:  IELTS Academic Writing and IELTS General Writing.
  • The IELTS General Writing Test has 2 writing tasks based on general topics:
  • IELTS General Writing task 1 –
    You need to write a formal or informal letter of 150 words as stated in the task description.
  • IELTS General Writing task 2 –
    You need to write an opinionated essay of 250 words based on some general information provided in the task description.
  • The IELTS Academic Writing Test has 2 tasks based on data interpretation and academic subjects:
  • IELTS Academic Writing task 1 –
    You must interpret the data provided in a pictogram. It may be a chart, diagram, table, or a flowchart. The guidelines to decipher the information will be provided in the task description. You need to write a 150-words essay based on the given information.
  • IELTS Academic Writing task 2 –
    You must write an essay of 250 words on a given topic that will mostly be selected from an academic journal or book.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 and Task 2: Preparation Strategy

The IELTS Academic writing tasks are based on an analysis of academic and professional information. Follow these simple steps and tricks to prepare for your IELTS academic writing tasks:

  1. Start reading academic and professional magazines and journals. Read the newspaper daily. Read academic study materials, books, and other relevant sources of information.
  2. Observe the pattern and writing style in these information sources.
  3. Learn the rules of grammar and how to use it in the correct format.
  4. Learn the 8 parts of speech: Nouns, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and interjections.
  5. Learn how to form simple, complex, and compound sentences.
  6. Learn new words, common phrases, idioms, and synonyms.
  7. Now practice writing small essays based on an academic topic of your choice.
  8. Implement the parts of speech correctly when you form your sentences.
  9. Use synonyms to avoid repeating the use of certain words.
  10. Once you are accustomed to writing essays in English with correct grammar and syntax, focus on data interpretation.
  11. Use Google or Pinterest to find some relevant charts, diagrams, or tables on general topics such as agriculture, transportation, business, etc.
  12. Practice interpreting the charts to understand what it represents. For instance, a simple agricultural bar graph may be describing the production of different crops during a specified time period.
  13. Once you learn how to read these pictograms, start practising for the tasks.
  14. You can refer to previous IELTS writing tests online, or acquire a book for IELTS preparation.
  15. Select a question set and practice interpreting the data and writing an essay of 150 words for the first task.
  16. Make sure you finish the entire process of data interpretation and writing for the first task within 20 minutes.
  17. Then practice writing an essay on an academic topic within 35 minutes. Make sure to express a clear opinion and add examples to support your statements.
  18. Use the last 5 minutes to check your essays for grammatical errors, factual errors, and any errors in syntax.
  19. Evaluate your writing skills based on the following factors:

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IELTS Writing Task: Best Tips To Begin With
  1. Grammar
  2. Vocabulary
  3. Continuity and logical flow in your writing style.
  4. Your ability to follow the directions of the test as described in each task.

If you have issues maintaining any of the above-mentioned factors, work on improving them. These 4 factors help decide your IELTS writing score.

  1. Speak to a mentor at Leap Scholar to help you prepare for your Academic IELTS Writing Test.

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IELTS Writing Task: Best Tips To Begin With

Attend Leap’s free masterclass to get tips, tricks and advance strategies to crack IELTS exam in first attempt

IELTS General Writing Task 1 and Task 2: Preparation Strategy

IELTS General Writing tasks are relatively simpler than IELTS academic tasks. You can follow these steps during your IELTS writing preparation to easily achieve a good score:

  1. As we have mentioned before, the IELTS General  Writing task 1 requires you to write a letter. Research the current formats for writing both formal and informal letters.
  2. Start working on improving your command of grammar and vocabulary.
  3. Learn the parts of speech. Practice writing sentences or paragraphs while implementing them correctly.
  4. Learn a few common root words. Then add prefixes and suffixes to them to create similar words. This is a great practice to improve your vocabulary.
  5. Learn how to form simple, compound, and complex sentences.
  6. Practice forming well-informed opinions on current events and significant aspects of leisure such as travel, sporting activities, etc.
  7. Now start practising your writing skills, all the while implementing correct uses of grammar and vocabulary.
  8. Select a few subjects for formal letter-writing and informal letter-writing.
  9. Write letters of a minimum of 150 words each. Strive to complete each letter within 15 – 17 minutes.
  10. Then choose a couple of general topics such as your favourite location for holiday with the family, your opinion on the current political strata, etc. Write a 250-words essay on each of your chosen topics, allocating 35 – 37 minutes for every essay.
  11. Evaluate your writing skills based on the correct use of grammar and vocabulary.
  12. Check how accurately you followed the rules of sentence formation.
  13. Evaluate whether there is a logical flow to your writing.
  14. Improve your speed of writing as the exam is 60 minutes long and there is no extra time awarded to finish your essays.
  15. Take multiple IELTS Writing practice tests online to evaluate your proficiency and progress.
  16. Speak to the mentors at Leap Scholar if you have difficulties in preparing for the IELTS General Writing Test.

We hope you find the above-mentioned methods useful for the preparation of your IELTS writing task 1 and IELTS writing task 2. If you need further assistance or counselling on how to proceed with your IELTS writing preparation, IELTS general writing, IELTS academic writing and writing tasks; you can call the expert advisors at Leap Scholar on +91 84219 39943 or +91 9019 73412. They will devise a personalized program to help you with your training.


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Manisha Angre

Experienced IELTS prep trainer and education management industry veteran. Specializes in public speaking, international education, market research, mentoring, and management.

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