Learn From The Examiner Writing e Book

LearnFromTheExaminer
HowtoPassthe
IELTSWriting
Module
January2013IELTSBlog.com
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,or
storedinadatabaseorretrievalsystemwithoutpriorpermissionoftheauthor.Making
copiesofanypartofthisbookforanypurposeotherthanyourownpersonaluseisa
violationofInternationalCopyrightLaws.
LimitsofLiability/DisclaimerofWarranty
Theauthorandpublisherofthisbookandtheaccompanyingmaterialshaveusedtheirbest
effortsinpreparingthisprogram.Theauthorandpublishermakenorepresentationor
warrantieswithrespecttoaccuracy,applicability,fitnessorcompletenessofthisprogram.
Theydisclaimanywarranties(expressedorimplied),merchantabilityorfitnessforany
particularpurpose.Theauthorandthepublishershallinnoeventbeheldliableforany
lossorotherdamages,includingbutnotlimitedtospecial,incidental,consequentialor
otherdamages.Asalways,adviceofcompetentprofessionalsshouldbesought.
ThismanualcontainsmaterialprotectedunderInternationalCopyrightLawsandTreaties.
Anyunauthorizedreprintoruseofthismaterialisprohibited.
IELTSBlog.comAllRightsReserved Web:http://www.ieltsblog.com
TableofContents
1. Introduction
2. AcademicTask1oftheIELTSWritingModuleExplained
3. GeneralTrainingTask1oftheIELTSWritingModuleExplained
4. Task2oftheIELTSWritingModuleExplained
5. The10mostcommonmistakesmadebyIELTScandidatesandhowto
avoidthem.
1.Introduction
ThisbookisdesignedtohelpIELTScandidatesraisetheirIELTSwritingscoresbyanentire
band,enablingthemtogetthemarktheyrequirefortheirfuturelife.Thisdocumenthas
been put together by a former IELTS Writing Examiner who has experience of marking
many thousands of IELTS writing tests and has been thereby able to identify the simple
errorswhichthemajorityofcandidatesmakeagainandagain.
After finishing reading this book you will be in a strong position to prepare yourself to
succeedintheIELTSWritingexam.Ofcourseifyoucombinetheknowledgeandwisdom
inside this book with completing an online Writing course at IELTSBlog.com, you will
greatlyincreasetheeffectivenessofthisbookinhelpingtoraiseyourbandscore,andwill
bealmostcertaintoraiseyouroverallbandscorefortheIELTSwritingmodule.
ItisimportanttonotethatallmaterialsinthisbookarenotoriginalIELTSmaterialsand
havebeenseparatelyproducedforIELTSBlog.com.
2.HowtoAnswerPart1oftheAcademicWritingModule
Part 1 of the IELTS writing module is an easily passed part of the test if you follow the
answeringsystemexplainedbelow.Althoughthedatapresentedinthequestionsforpart
1 are always different, they all follow a very similar pattern, and so long as you actually
readthequestionandtheinformationprovided,itshouldbeeasytoprovideanimpressive,
higherbandscoreanswer.
Tip1:Itisimportanttorememberthatyouonlyhave1hourforthewritingtest,soyou
mustmakesurethatyoudonotspendmorethan20minutescompletingpart1asitisonly
worth33%ofthemarksavailableforthewriting.
Tip2:Youwilllosemarksifyoudonotwritetheminimumnumberofwordsrequiredfor
eachanswer.Thewordscounteddonotincludeanywordsofthequestiontitleandare:
Task1:141words(Tobesafeyoushoulddoatleast150words)
Task2:241Words(Tobesafeyoushoulddoatleast250words)
WritingTask1
Intheacademicmodule,Task1isalwaysapresentationofdataonaspecifictopic.Thisis
presentedintheformofagraphoradiagram.Whateverthedatais,thequestionformatis
always the same. So to answer part 1 question effectively and gain maximum possible
marksonachievingthetaskrequirementsyoushouldmakesurethatyoudothefollowing
inyouranswer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
AcademicTask1Requirements
Introducethesubject
Explainthemainfeatureswithdata
Showtrendswithdata
Makeaconclusion
Toshowhowthisworksinpractisewewilluseanexampleofatask1stylequestion:
ExampleQuestion1
Thebarchartbelowshowsthenumberofstudentsinthreedifferentcoursesfrom2001
2004.Identifythemaintrendsandsummarizethedata.
1. Introducethesubject
Thebarchartshowsstudentsattendingthreedifferentcoursesoverfouryearsfrom2001
to2004.
Explanation:Themaintopicandreferencepointsareintroducedwithoutcopyingquestion
title.Sothewordswillcounttowardsthefinalwordcountfortask1.

2. Explainthemainfeatureswithdata
In2001,4.3millionstudentstookcourseA.In2002,2.5millionpeopleattendedcourseA.
Movingontotheyear2003,3.5millionpeopletookcourseA.Finally,in2004thenumberof
studentstakingcourseAhadincreasedto4.5millionstudents.
In2001,2.4millionstudentstookcourseB.In2002,4.4millionpeopleattendedcourseB.
Movingontotheyear2003,1.8millionpeopletookcourseB.Finally,in2004thenumberof
studentstakingcourseBhadincreasedto2.8millionstudents.
In 2001, 2 million students took course C. In 2002, 2 million people attended course C.
Movingontotheyear2003,3millionpeopletookcourseC.Finally,in2004thenumbersof
studentstakingcourseChadincreasedto5millionstudents.
Explanation: All the data is presented clearly and without copying the task question, so
allowingallthewordstocounttowardsthefinalwordcount.However,tomaketheanswer
read more effectively and so increase the band score we need to change some of the
languageandthephrasesused.
Forexample:
1. Explainthemainfeatureswithdata
Movingontotheyear2003,3.5millionpeopletookcourseA.Finallyin2004thenumberof
Moving onto Course B, in 2001, 2.4 million students took the course. In 2002, 4.4 million
peopleattendedcourseB.In2003,1.8millionpeopletookcourseB.By2004,thenumber
ofstudentstakingcourseBhadincreasedto2.8millionstudents.
TakingalookatthecourseCwecanseethatin2001,2millionstudentstookthecourse.In
2002,2millionpeopleattendedcourseC.Intheyear2003,3millionpeopletookcourseC.
By2004,thenumberofstudentstakingcourseChadincreasedto5millionstudents.
Explanation:Astherearedifferentwordsused,andthesentenceorderchanges,thewriting
becomeseasiertoread.
7
2. Showtrendswiththedata
If we analyze the data we can see several trends emerging. Firstly, the number of
candidates taking course A has stayed almost the same over the four years, despite
declining in 2003. The number of candidates taking course B after the initial rise to 4.4
millionin2002hasgraduallydeclinedoverthetwofollowingyearsto2.8millionin2004.
HoweverthenumberofcandidatestakingcourseChasgrownfrom2millionto5million
overthefouryears.
Explanation:Thekeyaimofexplainingtheoverall(overthefouryears)changein
numbersforeachofthe3categoriesisincludedhere,avoidingrepeatingthesame
sentenceforms.
4.Makeaconclusion
Inconclusionthen,onecansaythatoverthefouryearperiodfrom2001to2004,therehas
beenanincreaseinoverallnumbersofstudentsattendingallthreecourses.
Explanation:Theaimoftheconclusionistoexplainonekeytrendidentifiedfromallthe
differentdatatrends.
SoputtingallthedifferentpartstogetherwecanseewhatwouldgetanIELTSbandscore
answerof8forthisquestion:
Examplequestion2.
The bar chart below shows the number of students in three different courses from
20012004.Identifythemaintrendsandsummarizethedata.
NumberofStudentsAttendingThree
CoursesFrom20012004
6
5
4
Studentsin
Millions 3
CourseA
CourseB
CourseC
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
Years
SampleAnswer1(BandScore8).
to2004.
Movingontotheyear2003,3.5millionpeopletookcourseA.Finally,in2004thenumberof
MovingontoCourseB,in2001,2.4millionstudentstookthecourse.In2002,4.4million
peopleattendedcourseB.In2003,1.8millionpeopletookcourseB.By2004,thenumber
ofstudentstakingcourseBhadincreasedto2.8millionstudents.
TakingalookatthecourseCwecanseethatin2001,2millionstudentstookthecourse.In
2002,2millionpeopleattendedcourseC.Intheyear2003,3millionpeopletookcourseC.
By2004,thenumberofstudentstakingcourseChadincreasedto5millionstudents.
If we analyze the data we can see several trends emerging. Firstly, the number of
candidates taking course A has stayed almost the same over the four years, despite
declining in 2003. The number of candidates taking course B after the initial rise to 4.4
millionin2002hasgraduallydeclinedoverthetwofollowingyearsto2.8millionin2004.
However,thenumberofcandidatestakingcourseChasgrownfrom2millionto5million
overthefouryears.
Inconclusionthen,onecansaythatoverthefouryearperiodfrom2001to2004,therehas
beenanincreaseinoverallnumbersofstudentsattendingallthreecourses.
Wordcount:258
SowhywouldtheaboveanswergetanIELTSBand8score?Becauseofthefollowing:
1. Alltherequirementsofthetaskareachieved.
2. Therearenospellingorgrammaticalerrors.
3. The answer is over the minimum word count and the answer can be followed
effortlessly.
4. Awiderangeofgrammarandvocabularyisused.
ItisimportanttonotethatonlyananswerwithpracticallynoerrorscangetanIELTSband
8.
For it to become a 9, the writing would have to show an improvement in the style, and
evidence that the writer could use the most advanced grammatical structures and
vocabulary.Andtherewouldhavetobenoerrorsintheanswer.Theansweraboveuses
grammarandvocabularyappropriateforansweringthequestion.Anexampleofaband9
answerwouldbethefollowing:
ThebarchartfeaturedinTask1showsstudentsattendingthreedifferentcoursesovera
fouryeartimespanfrom2001to2004.
Firstofall,letstakealookatthedataprovidedinthebarchartoverthedurationofthe
fouryearperiod.In2001,4.3millionstudentshadpresumablyenrolledontocourseA.In
2002,thisfigurehadincreasedbynearly20percentto2.5million.Thenumberscontinued
toincreasesothatby2003,3.5millionpeoplewereatthattimetakingcourseA.Finally,in
2004thenumberofstudentstakingcourseAhadincreasedbyanotherwholemillionto4.5
millionstudents.
Moving onto course B, in 2001, 2.4 million students had decided to take the course. In
2002,thenumbersnearlydoubledto4.4millionpeopleattendingthecourse.However,in
2003only1.8millionpeopletookcourseB.In2004thenumbersofstudentstakingcourse
Bhadincreasedby1million,to2.8millionstudents.
TurningtothedataforcourseConecandiscernthatin2001,2millionstudentstookthe
course.Thisfigurestayedthesamefor2002.Thenin2003,therewasanotableriseto3
million people taking course C. By 2004, the numbers of students taking course C had
increaseddramaticallyto5millionstudents.
Ifweanalyzethedatawecanseeseveraltrendsclearlyemerging.Firstly,thenumbersof
candidates taking course A has stayed virtually the same over the four years. This was
despite a decline and then gradual rebound in 2003 to 2004. The number of candidates
takingcourseBaftertheinitialriseto4.4millionin2002hasgraduallydeclinedoverthe
two following years to 2.8 million in 2004.. However, the numbers of candidates taking
courseChadmorethandoublefrom2millionto5millionoverthefouryearperiod.
Toconcludethen,onecansaythatoverthefouryearperiodfrom2001to2004,therehas
beenanoverallincreaseinthenumbersofstudentsattendingallthreecourses.
Wordcount:342
10
Explanation:TheIELTSband9answerthereforedoesthefollowing;
1. Itanswersthequestionfullyandindetail.
2. Itusesafullrangeofadvancedgrammaticalstructuresandvocabulary.
3. Thestyleisfaultless.
Now you may have noticed something obvious about both Sample Answer 1 and 2. Both
havewordcountswhicharemuchlongerthanrequired.Intherealexamyouwillnothave
enoughtimetowritesuchdetailedanswerssoletslookatanansweroftherecommended
length(150words)whichwouldbegoodenoughtogetaband6scoreinIELTS:
to2004.
Firstly, let us look at the data. In 2001, 4.3 million students took course A. In 2002, 2.5
millionpeopleattendedcourseA.By2004thishadincreasedto4.5million.In2001,2.4
millionstudentstookcourseB.Thisfigureroseto2.8millionstudentsby2004.In2001,2
millionstudentsattendedcourseC.By2004,thenumberofstudentstakingcourseChad
increaseddramaticallyto5millionstudents.
IfweanalyzethedatawecanseethatthenumberofcandidatestakingcourseAhasstayed
almostthesameoverthefouryears,evenwithadeclinein2003.Thenumberofcandidates
takingcourseBaftertheinitialriseto4.4millionin2002hasgraduallydeclinedoverthe
two following years to 2.8 million in 2004. However, the number of candidates taking
courseChasgrownfrom2millionto5millionfrom2001to2004.
In conclusion then, one can say that from 2001 to 2004, there has been an increase in
overallnumbersofstudentsattendingallthreecourses.
Wordcount185.
Explanation3:SampleAnswer3answersalltherequirementsofthequestionandshowsa
controlledrangeofgrammaticalstructuresandvocabulary.
11

For Sample Answer 3 to be able to get a 7, we would have to add a wider range of
grammaticalstructuresandvocabulary:
SampleAnswer4(BandScore7):
The bar chart provides an overview of students attending three different courses in four
yearsfrom2001to2004.
Firstly,letuslookatthedata.In2001,4.3millionstudentstookcourseA.Thishadshrunk
in2002to2.5millionpeopleandthenreboundedin2004to4.5million,slightlyaheadof
the 2001 figures. In 2001, 2.4 million students took course B. This low number had
increased slightly to 2.8 million students by 2004. In 2001, 2 million students attended
courseC.By2004,thenumbersofstudentstakingcourseChadincreaseddramaticallyto5
millionstudents,amassiveincreaseonthe2001figures.
IfweanalyzethedatawecanseethatnumbersofcandidatestakingcourseAhasstayed
almostthesameoverthefouryears,takingintoaccountadeclinein2003.Thenumberof
candidatestakingcourseBaftertheinitialriseto4.4millionin2002hasgraduallydeclined
over the two following years to 2.8 million in 2004. However the numbers of candidates
takingthecourseChadleptfrom2millionin2001to5millionin2004.
Inconclusionthen,onecansaythatfrom2001to2004,therehasbeenanotableincrease
inoverallnumbersofstudentsattendingallthreecourses.
Wordcount185.
Band7features:
1.providesanoverviewof
2.Thishadshrunk
3.Rebounded
4.slightlyaheadofthe2001figures
5.hadincreasedslightly
6.amassiveincreaseonthe2001figures
7.takingintoaccountadecline
8.notable
12
Hereisabreakdownofthefourareasthatdecidewhatbandscorecandidatesareawarded
toforpart1.
Tip. Unless the question is fully answered according to the explanation provided below,
thenthecandidatecannotgetmorethanaBand5fortheiranswer.
MarkingCriteria
MarkingCriteria
AnsweringtheQuestion
Style
Vocabularyused
Grammarused
Explanation
Were all the parts of the question
answered?Theseare
Sowasthereanintroductionofthe
datapresented
examplesofthedataprovided
ananalysisofdatagiven
andasummaryofthemaintrends
inthedata
Howeasywasittoreadthereport?Wasit
logicalanddidithavethefollowing:
Anintroductionandaconclusion
Paragraphing
Good use of language connecting
thedifferentparagraphs
A logical progression towards the
conclusiondidthereportdevelop
towardsaconclusion?
How varied and accurate was the
vocabulary?
How wide was the range of grammatical
structures uses, and how accurately and
appropriatelyweretheyused?
13
Detailedanalysisofthedifferentmarkingcriteria;
MarkingCriteria
TheTask1academicanswershouldincludethefollowingsubsectionsinorderto
getaband6orhigherscore
1. Overviewofthetopic.
2. Examplesofthedata.
3. Analysisofthedata.
4. Summaryofidentifiedtrendsinthedata.
MarkingCriteria
Style
TheTask1academicanswershouldincludethefollowingsubsectionsinorderto
getaband6orhigherscore
1. Anintroductionandaconclusion.
2. Aclearlogicalprogressionfromtheintroductiontotheconclusion.
3. Effectiveuseofparagraphing.
4. Appropriate use of cohesive devices (language that links the different
paragraphstogether).
MarkingCriteria
VocabularyUsed
The Task 1 academic answer should include effective and accurate use of
vocabulary. This language has to be in addition to the language provided by the
Question. The wider the range of vocabulary, so long as it is accurately used, the
higherthebandscore.
MarkingCriteria
GrammarUsed
The Task 1 academic answer should include effective and accurate use of
grammatical structures. This language has to be in addition to the language
providedbytheQuestion.Thewidertherangeofgrammaticalstructures,solong
asitisaccuratelyused,thehigherthebandscore.
14
TemplateforAnswering
AcademicTask1
Connectivedevices
As mentioned in the style marking requirement, an important part of how highly graded
the Task 1 answer is in the use of what are known as connective devices. These are the
linking words and phrases used to connect paragraphs together developing from the
introductiontotheconclusionofareport.Demonstratingagooduseandcontrolofthese
featurescansignificantlyimprovebandscores.Whatfollowsisatemplatewithsuggested
connectivedevicesandwhentousethem:
15
16

3.HowtoAnswerPart1oftheGeneralTrainingTest
Part 1 of the IELTS writing test is an easily passed part of the test if you follow the
answering system explained below. Although the question tasks presented in the
questionsforpart1arealwaysdifferent,theyallfollowaverysimilarpattern,andsolong
as you actually read the question and the information provided, it should be easy to
provideanimpressive,higherbandscoreanswer.
Tip1:Itisimportanttorememberthatyouonlyhave1hourforthewritingtest,soyou
mustmakesurethatyoudonotspendmorethan20minutescompletingPart1asitisonly
worth33%ofthemarksavailableforthewriting.
Tip2:Youwilllosemarksifyoudonotwritetheminimumnumberofwordsrequiredfor
eachanswer.Thewordscounteddonotincludeanywordsofthequestiontitleandare:
Task1:141words(Tobesafeyoushoulddoatleast150words)
Task2:241Words(Tobesafeyoushoulddoatleast250words)
WritingTask1
In the general training module, Task 1 asks the candidate to write a letter for a specific
purpose. The question provides the reason why the candidate is writing the letter, the
persontoaddresstheletterto,andthreespecificpointsthathavetobementionedinthe
letter. To answer Part 1 question effectively and gain maximum possible marks on
achieving the task requirements you should make sure that you do the following in your
answer:
GeneralTrainingTask1Requirements
1. Usethecorrecttoneandletterformat
2. Mentionallthreepoints.
3. Write at least 150 words, (less than 141 words will cost
marks.) This does not include the salutations (the
beginningandclosingphrasesoftheletter.
17
ToshowhowthisworksinpractisewewilluseanexampleofaTask1stylequestion:
GeneralTrainingSampleQuestion1
YouareplanningtostayinahotelinanEnglishspeakingcountry.Youarewritingtothe
hotel manager to find out some additional information. In your letter ask the following
questions:
Whatthedailyrateforonestandardroomis
Whatthefacilitiesinthehotelare
Whetherthehoteloffersexcursionstothenearbytouristsites
Thereisnoneedtoincludenamesandaddresses.
The letter is a formal one as you are writing to a person whom you do not know so you
need to write in a formal tone. An informal letter is a letter that you write to a person
whom you do know (a friend, a colleague, an acquaintance). Below is a comparison
betweenformalandinformallanguageinletterwriting:
FormalWriting
DearSir/Madam,
Iamwritingtoyoutorequestdetailsabout
Itrust
Iwouldappreciate
Iwouldbegrateful
Iwouldliketo
Confirm
Yourssincerely
Additionally
Providemewith
Establishment
Ilookforwardtoreceivingyourreply
InformalWriting
Hi,
Iwanttoknow
Ihope
Iwant
Itwouldbegreat
Idliketo
Check
Bye
Also
Giveme
Business
Hopetohearfromyousoon
So now that we know that it is a formal letter, we can then write the answer after
identifyingwhatinformationgoesintotheanswer(seehighlightedbelow):
18
YouareplanningtostayinahotelinanEnglishspeakingcountry.Youarewritingtothe
hotel manager to find out some additional information. In your letter ask the following
questions:
Whatthedailyrateforonestandardroomis
Whatarethefacilitiesinthehotel
Whetherthehoteloffersexcursionstothenearbytouristsites
Hereishowtheanswermightlook:
GeneralTrainingTask1,SampleQuestion1
Answer(BandScore8):
DearSir/Madam,
I am writing to you to request details about your hotel and its services. I plan to stay at
yourestablishmentinonemonthstimeandthereareanumberofpointswhichIwouldbe
gratefulifyoucouldclarifyforme.Thiswillallowmetoplanmyholidayinyourcountry
moreeffectivelyandtherebygivemetheopportunitytomaximisemyvacationtime.
Firstofall,couldyoupleaseinformmeastowhatthecurrentdailyrateisforonestandard
room.IfthequotedpriceissatisfactorythenIwouldliketoproceedtoreservetheroom
foroneweekfromthefirstofMarchtotheeighthofMarch.
Secondly,Iwouldappreciateitifyoucouldadditionallyprovidemewithdetailsofwhatthe
hotelfacilitiesareatyourestablishment.Couldyoupleaseconfirmformethatyouhavea
gymandaswimmingpoolfortheuseofthehotelguests.
Finally,Iaminterestedinvisitingthelocaltouristsitesandsowouldgreatlyappreciateitif
you could provide me with details of any excursions which your hotel may run to these
destinations.
Ilookforwardtoreceivingyourreply.
Bestregards,
Wordcount:198
19
Theaboveanswerismadeupofthreeparts:
Dear
Sir/Madam
1. Introduceyourself:whoyouareandwhyyouarewriting
Iamwritingtoyourequestdetailsaboutyourhotelanditsservices.Iplantostayatyour
establishment in one months time and there are a number of points which I would be
gratefulifyoucouldclarifyforme.Thiswillallowmetoplanmyholidayinyourcountry
moreeffectivelyandtherebygivemetheopportunitytomaximisemyvacationtime.
2. Talkaboutthethreekeypointsintheexamquestion
Firstofall,couldyoupleaseinformmeastowhatthecurrentdailyrateisforonestandard
room.IfthequotedpriceissatisfactorythenIwouldliketoproceedtoreservetheroom
foroneweekfromthefirstofMarchtotheeighthofMarch.
Secondly,Iwouldappreciateitifyoucouldadditionallyprovidemewithdetailsofwhatthe
hotelfacilitiesareatyourestablishment.Couldyoupleaseconfirmformethatyouhavea
gymandaswimmingpoolfortheuseofthehotelguests.
Finally,Iaminterestedinvisitingthelocaltouristsitesandsowouldgreatlyappreciateitif
you could provide me with details of any excursions which your hotel may run to these
destinations.
3. Finishtheletterinanappropriatemanner
Ilookforwardtoreceivingyourreply.
Yours
Sincerely,
20
toforpart1.
MarkingCriteria
MarkingCriteria
Style
Vocabularyused
Grammarused
Explanation
Were all three parts of the question
answered?
Howeasywasittoreadtheletter?Wasit
Appropriate tone (formal or
informal)
Appropriatestyle(aletterstyle)
Abeginningandanending
Paragraphing
the different paragraphs (cohesive
connectors)

vocabulary?
How wide the range of grammatical
structures uses was, and how accurately
andappropriatelyweretheyused?
Detailedanalysisofthedifferentmarkingcriteria:
MarkingCriteria
The Task 1 general training answer should include the following subsections in
ordertogetaBand6orhigherscore
1. Thereasonfortheletterismadeclear
2. Allthreepointsinthequestionarementionedintheanswer
21
MarkingCriteria
Style
The Task 1 general training answer should include the following subsections in
ordertogetaBand6orhigherscore
1. Anappropriateintroductionandanending.
3. Appropriate use of cohesive devices (language that link the different
paragraphstogether).
4. Anappropriatetone(formalorinformal)isused.
5. Appropriatestyle(aletterstyle).
MarkingCriteria
VocabularyUsed
The Task 1 general training answer should include effective and accurate use of
vocabulary. This language has to be in addition to the language provided by the
Question. The wider the range of vocabulary, so long as it is accurately used, the
higherthebandsscore.
MarkingCriteria
GrammarUsed
The Task 1 general training answer should include effective and accurate use of
grammatical structures. This language has to be in addition to the language
providedbytheQuestion.Thewidertherangeofgrammaticalstructures,solong
asitisaccuratelyused,thehigherthebandsscore.
GeneraltrainingTask1alsohasinformalstylesoflettertowrite.Hereisanexample
questionfollowedbyanexampleanswer:
YouareplanningtostaywithafriendinanEnglishspeakingcountry.Youarewritingto
your friend to find out some additional information. In your letter ask the following
questions:
Howlongshouldyouplantostayfor
Whatyoushouldbringwithyou
Whatyouwouldliketodothere
22

Answer(BandScore8):
Hi____,
I hope you are well. I am writing to you to check a few details about my planned trip to
comeandstaywithyounextmonth.
Firstofall,howlongdoyouthinkthatIshouldplantostaywithyou?Whenwelastspokeit
was a little bit unclear and I would like to confirm this in advance of booking my flights
over to your country. I know that you said two weeks was fine, but are you sure that it
wouldbeokformetostayforthatlongatyourhome?
Secondly,doyouhaveanyrecommendationsaboutthetypesofthingsthatIshouldbring
withme?IamplanningonbringingtheusualtravelitemsthatItakeonholidaywithme,
butitoccurredtome,thatitmightbealittlebitcoldinyourcountryatthemoment.Doyou
thinkthatIshouldbringwarmclotheswithme?
Finally,IknowthatwehavetalkedgenerallyaboutdoingthingswhenIarrive,butIhave
read about a tourist attraction near your home. I am very interested in going to see this
sight,andafterIfindthemagazineagainIwillsendyouanotherletterwiththenameofthe
attractiononit.
Well,Ireallylookforwardtoseeingyousoon.
Allthebest,
Wordcount:223
Connectivedevices
As mentioned in the style marking requirement, an important part of how highly graded
the Task 1 answer is in the use of what are known as connective devices. These are the
linking words and phrases used to connect paragraphs together developing from the
introductiontotheconclusionofanessay.Demonstratingagooduseandcontrolofthese
features can significantly improve band scores. On the next page is a template with
suggestedconnectivedevicesforansweringGeneralTrainingTask1.Allthedevicesshould
beusedatthebeginningoftherespectiveparagraphs.
23
24
4.WritingTask2
For both Academic and General Training Modules, the Writing Task 2 is the same. The
answerisworth66%oftheavailablemarksforwriting,soyoushouldallow40minutesto
complete Task 2. You are presented with a discussion topic and asked to discuss it and
presentyourownopiniononit.Thequestionsmayvary,butthetaskrequirementsalways
remainthesame,whichare:
AcademicandGeneralTrainingTask2Requirements
1. Usethe correcttone and essayformat (an introductionto
the topic, an analysis of both sides of the argument and a
conclusionwherethewritergivestheirownopinion.
2. Alwaysuseparagraphing.
3. Write at least 250 words, (less than 241 words will cost
marks.)Thisdoesnotincludetheessaytitle.Sodonotcopy
theessaytitletogainextrawordlength.
Tip:Everyessayquestionwillhaveatleasttwopossibleviewsforandagainstthe
discussiontopic.Togaintopmarksyouneedtopresentbothviewsbeforeprovidingyou
ownviewpointintheconclusion.
Examplesofessayquestionsandanswers:
Allowfor40minutestocompletethistask.
Writeaboutthefollowingtopic:
It is more important to invest in further education rather than to gain work

experienceafterfinishinguniversityinordertofindagoodjob.
Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?
Givereasonsforyouranswerandincludeanyrelevantexamplesfromyourownknowledge
orexperience.
Write250wordsormore.
25
Toanswerthisquestionweneedtoidentifythekeypointsasfollows:
Keypoints:
Opinion1:Importanttoinvestinfurthereducation.
Opinion2:Gainworkexperienceafterfinishinguniversity.
Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagree?
Asampleanswercouldlooklikethis:
Answer(BandScore8)
Asthenumbersofuniversitygraduatescontinuestoincrease,itcanseemthatthereisno
alternativebuttocontinueonesstudiesinordertobemoreattractiveinthejobmarket,
ratherthantoseektogainpracticalworkexperience.Toseehowvalidthisargumentis,we
havetolookatbothsidesofthedebate.
Firstofall,letstakealookatthefirsttraditionalrouteforuniversitygraduates.Themain
reasonwhypeopleundertakeanundergraduatedegreeistogivethemacompetitiveedge
inthejobmarket,asgainingadegreeisseenaguaranteeofacertainlevelofmentalability.
Itisthenseenasnecessarytocombinethisintellectualtrainingwithpractical,realworld
workexperienceinordertobecomeaviableandstrongcontenderinthejobmarket.
Thealternativeviewhoweverarguesthatitisnolongerenoughmerelytopossessa
standarduniversitydegreeandpracticalworkexperience.Thesheernumbersof
graduatesenteringthelabourmarketeachyearmeansthatitisvitaltogainanadditional
competitiveedgewhenapplyingforthemoresoughtafterpositionswithselective
employers.
Sowheredoesthetruthlie?Ontheonehandthereisthetimehonouredviewthathaslong
beentheconventionalandpracticalroutetocareersuccessforyoungambitious
individuals.Ontheotherhand,theviewthatthejobmarkethasneverbeenmore
competitiveanditisessentialtoaspiretomuchhigherlevelsofcompetitiveexcellence.
Withcurrentlackofjobsavailableinthelabourmarketitseemsinevitablethatonehasto
gainadditionalqualificationswhichwillprovetoapotentialemployerthatoneistheright
candidateforthatveryjob.
Wordcount291
26
Hereisanothersampletask2question:
Allowfor40minutestocompletethistask.
Composeanessayonthefollowing:
Somepeoplebelievethattelevisionisapowerfuleducationaltool.Otherpeople
believethattelevisionisnothingmorethanmindlessentertainmentandshouldbe
discouraged.
Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththisstatement?
Discussbothviewsandgiveyourownopinion.Provideexamplesandsupportingevidence
tobackupyouropiniononthissubject.
Write250wordsormore.
Toanswerthisquestionweneedtoidentifythekeypointsasfollows:
Keypoints:
Opinion1:Televisionasapowerfuleducationaltool.
Opinion2:Televisionasmindlessentertainmenttobediscouraged.
Discussbothviewsandgiveyourownopinion.
27
Asampleanswercouldlooklikethis:
It seems that television isever present in our society. Perhaps because of its popularity,
therearewidelydifferingviewsastowhetherthemediumoftelevisionisapositiveforce
oranegativeforceinsociety.
Ontheplusside,thereisacommonlyheardviewthattelevisionisofgreatimportanceto
society as it acts as an educational tool for the general public. Television, it is argued,
makes the boring exciting through its ability to engage us with both sound and visual
stimulation.Peoplerespondwelltothevisualstorytellingpoweroffastpacedtelevision
programmesandarebetterabletoretaintheknowledgelearnedthroughtheexperience.
The use of television programmes to teach children how to read and write is a good
exampleofthis.
Alternatively, some people believe that television is nothing more than mindless
entertainment. It is argued by such people that television acts as a substitute for actual
learning.Thatinsteadofabsorbinginformationatonesownspeedthroughthemediumof
readingforexample,oneisforcefedthebriefestofinformationatafastpace,makingin
depth analysis difficult. An example of this would be the comparison between television
newsandanewspaper.Anewspapercanbereadandabsorbedatonesownpaceandhas
theabilitytogointomuchgreaterdepththantelevision.
In conclusion then, one can see that the rapid superficiality of television is in fact no
substituteforindepthcoverageprovidedbyothermedia,suchasthewrittenform.
Wordcount:252
toforpart2.
28

MarkingCriteria
MarkingCriteria
Style
Vocabularyused
Grammarused
Explanation
Were all three parts of the question
answered?
Howeasywasittoreadtheessay?Wasit
Appropriatetone(formal)
Appropriatestyle(anessaystyle)
Abeginningandanending
Paragraphing
the different paragraphs (cohesive
connectors)

vocabulary?
How wide the range of grammatical
structures uses was, and how accurately
andappropriatelyweretheyused?
Detailedanalysisofthedifferentmarkingcriteria:
MarkingCriteria
TheTask2answershouldincludethefollowingsubsectionsinordertogetaBand
6orhigherscore
1. Overviewofthetopic.
2. Exampleandanalysisofthefirstviewpoint.
3. Exampleandanalysisofthesecondviewpoint.
4. Conclusionwiththewritersownopinionbaseduponthetwo
analysedviewpoints.
29

MarkingCriteria
Style
TheTask2answershouldincludethefollowingsubsectionsinordertogetaBand
6orhigherscore
1. Anintroductionandaconclusion.
2. A clear logical progression from the introduction to the
conclusion.
4. Appropriate use of cohesive devices (language that links the
differentparagraphstogether).
MarkingCriteria
VocabularyUsed
The Task 2 answer should include effective and accurate use of vocabulary. This
languagehastobeinadditiontothelanguageprovidedbytheQuestion.Thewider
therangeofvocabulary,solongasitisaccuratelyused,thehigherthebandsscore.
MarkingCriteria
GrammarUsed
The Task 2 answer should include effective and accurate use of grammatical
structures. This language has to be in addition to the language provided by the
Question.Thewidertherangeofgrammaticalstructures,solongasitisaccurately
used,thehigherthebandsscore.
30
Tip:ThekeytosuccessfullyansweringTask2istouseanessaystylewithanintroduction,
ananalysisofbothpointsofviewandaconclusionbasedupontheevidencepresented.To
dothissuccessfullyitisessentialtousethefollowing:
paragraphing
aformalstyle
anintroductionandaconclusion
presentationofbothviewpoints
yourownopinion
towriteover241words,notincludingtheessaytitle
Togetthehighermarksitisagainimportantuseconnectivedevicestolinktheparagraphs
together.Belowisalistofhigherlevelconnectivedevicesandwhentousethem.
Anoverviewofasuccessfultask2answerwouldlooklikethis:
31
32
Tip:Avoidusingclichswherepossibleaclichisasetphrasetodescribeasituation.
Classicexamplesarethefollowing:
Clich
Everycoinhastwosides.
Thisisahotbuttontopic
Franklyspeaking
Tolookforgreenerpastures
Tohaveabrightfuture
Therapiddevelopmentoftechnology
Therapiddevelopmentoftheeconomy
Explanation
Explaining that there are two sides to an
argument
Describingacontentiousissue
Togiveanhonestviewpoint
To improve ones chances in a new
environment
Toimproveonesfuturelife
Thespeedoftechnologicalchange
Thespeedofeconomicchange
Below is a list of clichs and the suitable highlevel language that can be used instead to
gainratherthanlosemarks.
Clich
Everycoinhastwosides.
Thisisahotbuttontopic
Franklyspeaking
Tolookforgreenerpastures
Explanation
Everyargumenthastwosides
Thisisahighlycontentiousissue
Honestlyspeaking
Toseeknewbetteropportunitiesoverseas
Tohaveabrightfuture
Therapiddevelopmentoftechnology
Therapiddevelopmentoftheeconomy
Togreatlyimproveonesfuturechances
Thespeedoftechnologicalprogress
Thespeedofeconomicprogress
Soifyoubeartheaboveinmindandpracticeansweringtheabovequestions(Task1and2
both) within a 1 hour time limit, you will greatly improve your chances of passing the
Writing module. Indeed, if you practice using the above techniques to answer the 2040
individualpracticewritingtestsontheIELTSblog.comwebsite(eachwithaseparateTask
1andTask2question),andtheincorporatetheteachers'feedbackthereisnoreasonwhy
youshouldnotgetahighbandscoreintheIELTSWritingmodule.
33
5.The10KeyMistakesMadebyIELTSCandidatesTakingtheIELTS
WritingExam
IELTS candidates frequently fail to get the score they require because they make some
basicmistakes.UnlessyouareaForeignIELTSexamineryoudonotknowwhatthesebasic
mistakes are. IELTS preparatory courses teach you how to pass the IELTS writing exam
fromthestudent'sperspective.NowforthefirsttimeyoucanlearnhowtopasstheIELTS
writing exam from the perspective of the person who gives out the scores the IELTS
examiner.
Lets take a look at the ten most common and easily solved problems made by IELTS
candidatestakingtheIELTSwritingExam:
10KeymistakesMadeByIELTSCandidatestakingtheIELTSwritingTest
Mistake
Explanation
1. Writingdownmemorisedanswers
2. Notwritingenough
3. Notwritinglikeanindividual
4. Beinginadvertentlyracist
5. Usingclichs
6. Writinginappropriately
7. Notusingparagraphing
8. Notansweringthequestion
9. Using
vocabulary
and
inappropriately
10. Notmanagingexamtimewell
Amemorisedansweriswrittenbyanonnative
speaker is easy to recognize and will stop you
frompassingtheexam
Failuretowritetheminimum amountofwords
meansthatthecandidatewillbemarkeddown
Although it is common to think as part of a
groupin manycountries,mostexaminerscome
from Western countries where they expect
people write personal or individual answers to
questions.
Describingoneethnic/nationalgroupasunique
and deserving special treatment is considered
offensivebypeoplefromWesterncountries.
Aclichisaphraseusedtodescribeasituation
suchaseverycoinhastwosideswhichisover
usedbymanycandidates.Chooseyourownway
ofdescribingsomething.
Unlessthequestionasksyoutowritetoafriend,
your answers should always be written
formally.
ItisessentialtouseparagraphinginTask1and
Task2oftheWritingexam.
Always answer try to answer the question,
otherwiseyouwillnotpasstheexam
phrases Do not use vocabulary and phrases unless you
knowhowtousetheminawrittenanswer.
If you take longer than the recommended
amountoftimeoneachtask,youwillrunoutof
timetowriteagoodanswer.
34
Andherearethewaystosimplyavoidtheseproblems:
10KeymistakesMadeByIELTSCandidatestakingtheIELTSWritingTest
Mistake
Solution
1. Writingdownmemorisedanswers
Repeatedlypractisewritingdownyourown
answerswiththefeedbackfrom
IELTSBlog.comteachersyouwilllearntobe
able to write your own highscoring
answers
2. Notwritingenough
Practise writing the minimum word
amountsintherequiredtimelimits
(Task 1141 words in 20 minutes. Task 2
241wordsin40minutes.)
3. Notwritinglikeanindividual
Avoid writing things such as "because I am
(yourownnationality)Ithink...
4. Usingclichs
AvoidusingEnglishsayingswhichyouhave
not seen used by native English speaking
writers.
5. Beinginadvertentlyracist
Recognizing that there are many different
types of people in the world and that there
no one country or ethnic group can be the
bestatanything.Sowritingsomethingsuch
as the following would be acceptable: The
(yourownnationality)haveareputationfor
beingveryhospitable...
6. Writinginappropriately
Use formal speech always, unless
specifically told otherwise in the Task
question (this exception applies only to
GeneralTrainingcandidates)
7. Notusingparagraphing
Practise writing essays with paragraphing
andusingconnectivedevices.
8. Notansweringthequestion
Alwaystrytoanswerthequestion.
9. Using
vocabulary
and
phrases Practise using new vocabulary and phrases
inappropriately
by identifying them in material written by
native English speaking writers, such as
newspapersandmagazines.
10. Notmanagingexamtimewell
Practise writing your answers under timed
conditionsremember it is 20 minutes for
Task1and40minutesforTask2.
35
Finalword
Itisstronglyrecommendedthatyoufirstofallmemorizetheinformationinthisbookand
thenpractiseusingitthroughdoingcontrolled1hourtests.
Remember,ifyouplancorrectly,andrepeatedlypractice,thenthewritingtestisoneofthe
surestwaystoachieveahighbandscoreintheIELTStest.
Goodluck!
36

Learn From The Examiner Writing e Book

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Learn From The Examiner Writing e Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

LearnFromTheExaminer

How varied and accurate was the

It is more important to invest in further education rather than to gain work

How varied and accurate was the

You might also like