IELTS General Writing. Test format

The General Training Writing module is made up of two writing tasks. You will have 60 minutes to complete them, and there will be NO extra time to check your answers; thus, learn to manage your time efficiently. Also, under no circumstances should you swap the tasks; if you start with Task 2 and it takes too much time (more than 40 minutes), you might end up not having done Task 1 at all.

In Writing Task 1 you will be asked to write a letter on an everyday issue, say, to ask for help, to find out some information or to solve a problem. The minimum word count is 150, and you shouldn’t spend more than 20 minutes on it, including planning and checking your letter.

The following time management scheme is commonly advised for Task 1:

• 2 to 3 minutes planning time;
• 15 minutes writing time;
• 2 to 3 minutes for checking your work.

Commonly, General Writing Task 1 can be divided into two parts: the general topic of the letter you’ll be writing (part 1) and the details you should include in it (part 2). Before writing your response, read the task quickly, but CAREFULLY. At this point you should get a pretty good idea of what exactly you’re supposed to do; I advise my students to underline the key points to make sure they won’t leave anything out.

The next step is planning your response: make some notes (you won’t be given any scrap paper, but you’re allowed to write in the test booklet) on each point that you need to cover. A typical letter consists of the following sections:

1. Greeting: the task will explicitly tell you how to start (for example, “Dear…” or “Dear Sir or Madam”); if no form of address is provided, you could make up a name. Write something like Helen or John if you’re addressing somebody you’re supposed to know on a first name basis, or, say, Mr. Smith or Mrs. Brown if it’s a formal letter.
2. Introductory paragraph:
• for an informal letter to someone you know well, use a polite formula, e.g. “How are you?”, “How are things?”, “I hope you’re well”, etc.
• for a formal letter to someone who doesn’t know you, explain who you are, e.g. “I am a first-year student at your college”, “I was staying at your hotel from 2 to 13 August”, etc.
• if appropriate, thank for something your addressee (the person you’re writing to) has done for you, “Thank you for your invitation”, ”Thank you for letting me know about this problem”, etc.
3. Main body:
• first, explain in general terms the reason for your writing – name your problem, describe a situation, introduce your request, etc. (basically, you’ll be restating the first part of your task here);
• then, continue with more details – supply more information, talk about the specifics of your request, say what you feel your addressee should do, etc. (this is where the second part of your task comes into play)
4. Closing paragraph: give an indication of what you expect the addressee to do (“Thank you for your help”, “I look forward to your response”), offer your help (“Please let me know if I can be of further assistance / if I can do anything else / if you have any other questions”), and if appropriate, mention again why you’re writing this letter using different words (“Let me apologize once again”, “I hope I’ve been able to help you”).

In Writing Task 2 you’ll need to write an essay on a certain topic related to a social context. You are required to write at least 250 words, and you should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

As regards the organization of an essay for Writing Task 2, you should stick to the following structure:

1.  Introduction (2-4 sentences). You should begin with introducing the general topic of your essay; describe the setting, so to speak. Then, move onto the specific issue raised in the task; present the problem, an opinion, or the opposing views you’re required to discuss.  
2. Main body (2-3 developmental paragraphs). This is where you should fully address the question(s) presented in the task. Every paragraph should have a key point, related to the specific issue of your essay, and relevant supporting details. If it’s appropriate, make sure to include some examples.
3. Conclusion (4-5 sentences). In the conclusion, summarize the key points expressed in the main body, and finish up with your personal opinion on the given matter.

There are no maximum limits for the writing tasks, but you really shouldn’t make them more than 180 and 290 words for Task 1 and Task 2 respectively, so as not to lose any time and/or make more mistakes.

Your score will consist of the following components:

• Task Achievement (Task 1)/ Task Response (Task 2) – you should complete the task, fully answer the questions, follow the instructions precisely, stick to the topic; 
• Coherence and Cohesion – your writing should be well-organized, your ideas should be linked, you should be consistent in your choice of tense (don’t jump from the present tense to the past tense without a good reason) , number (it’s best to stick to either plural forms, like people, or singular forms, like a man) and person (e.g., don’t change from you to somebody);
• Lexical Resource – you should use a wide range of vocabulary, and do it accurately;
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy – you should accurately use a range of grammar structures.

To conclude, on the day of the exam there are three main requirements to be aware of when doing the IELTS Writing module: meeting the time limit, observing the word count condition and fully addressing the task. All the other points, like the structure of a writing task, linking words, grammar usage, relevant vocabulary, etc. are to be studied and extensively practised when preparing for the exam as there’s almost no point in struggling to produce something that hasn’t been perfected before.