IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER: WRITING {TASK1}
One the hardest part of IELTS writing module is writing the introduction. If you
have a good technique for this, then the rest of the task is easy.
The first thing to note is that writing about Tables, Graphs and Diagrams is not the
same as writing an essay in IELTS writing task 2:
You are NOT asked to give your opinion on the information, but generally
to write a report describing the information factually.
It is NOT necessary to write an introduction like in an essay for this writing
task. You are writing a report, which means that you do NOT begin with a
broad general statement about the topic.
You do NOT need to write a conclusion which gives any kind of opinion
about the significance of the information.
Three steps to keep up:
1. Identify the main idea behind the graph or table. This will be the focus of your
first sentence.
2. Consider the details of what is being shown - the units of measurement and
the time frame - and decide how much you need to include.
3. Consider the language to use - the introductory expressions, the tenses of the
verbs, the correct expressions of time and I or measurement etc.
Three possible ways to start:
1. Refer to the visual directly (e.g. This graph shows the population of Canada in
from 1867 up to 2007.) However, this method is not advisable, since the
instructions in the IELIS test will normally give you just this information. If you
copy directly from the paper you are wasting time, since the examiner cannot
assess your English from a copied sentence.
2. Refer directly to the main message conveyed by the visual (e.g. There was a
sharp increase in the population of Canada from 1867 up to 2007.) This way is
perfectly acceptable, and shows that you are able to recognise the main concept
or message that the graph or table shows.
3. Combine the two:
(e.g. The graph shows that there was a sharp increase in the population of
Canada from 1867 up to 2007.) This is also acceptable, and is often used as a
convenient way to start. In order to use this method, it is necessary to use a few
fixed expressions, which refer to the text itself, like those below.
Introductory Expression <VERY VERY IMPORTANT >
The graph/table shows/indicates/illustrates/reveals/represents...
It is clear from the graph/table...
It can be seen from the graph/table...
As the graph/table shows,...
As can be seen from the graph/table,...
As is shown by the graph/table,...
As is illustrated by the graph/table,...
From the graph/table it is clear....
Note:
Avoid using the phrase: according to the graph. This is because the phrase
according to generally means that the information comes from another
person or source, and not from our own knowledge. (For example,
According to Handbook, the Archaic Period started around 7000 BCE and
ended around 1200 BCE.)
In the case of a graph or table that is shown, the information is there right
in front of you, the writer, and also the reader, and so you know it does not
come from another source.
Timing and word length in the writing module:
The writing module contains two compulsory tasks, namely Task 1 and Task 2. In
Task 1, you must summarise and compare information from a graph, chart, table
or diagram, or a combination of these, and Task 2 is a topic on which you have to
write a discursive essay. The topic may be in the form of a statement or a
question.
Task 1 tests your ability to analyse data objectively without giving an opinion,
whereas Task 2 usually requires a subjective piece of writing on a fairly general
topic. In addition, it is worth noting that the exam is not testing knowledge of
English language, but rather skills in using English. In other words, it is not testing
memory. Awareness of this might help reduce some of the problems that many
candidates have in the IELTS exam.
In the exam, the minimum word limit for Task 1 is 150 words and you need to
spend about 20 minutes on this part of the test. Task 2 must be at least 250
words, on which you need to spend about 40 minutes. In both Tasks, there is no
upper word limit.
Many candidates frequently exceed the minimum amounts by a very wide
margin, which creates several problems. Rather than concentrating on producing
a good essay, candidates write beyond what is necessary, thinking that there are
extra marks for writing more. This is usually not the case.
It is very important that you try to keep the word limits, and perhaps write just a
little more. You could write between 150 and 180 words for Task 1 and 250 and
300 for Task 2. If you write too few words, you will lose marks. While practising
for the IELTS exam, count the number of words you write per line and then work
out how many lines you need to reach the 150/250 word limit. It may surprise you
how little you have to write! You could draw a line to mark the word limits when
you are writing your homework. This will help train you to keep to the limits and
help you to focus on where you are going and what you are aiming for.
One important reason for writing just a little more than the word limit is to give
yourself enough time to check what you have written. During the actual exam,
you should spend 6-7 minutes analysing the question, about 30 minutes writing
your essay, and 3-4 minutes checking your essay for mistakes.
Task 1 or Task 2 first ????
Students frequently ask whether they should do Task 1 first or Task 2. This
obviously depends on the individual. It is probably wise, however, to do Task 1
first. From the psychological point of view, it gives you a sense of accomplishment
when you have finished it.
Note that the value of the marks given to each Task is reflected in the time. There
are twice as many marks for Task 2 as for Task 1. The marks are combined to
produce one Band Score from 1 to 9 for the whole test. Note also that if you
write less than 150 words for Task 1 and less than 250 for Task 2, you will lose
marks.
IELTS Writing Task 1: SET -1
The table below shows the cinema viewing figures for films by country, in millions.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. {20 minutes on this task}
Cinema viewing figures for films by country, in millions
Action Romance Comedy Horror Totals
India 8 7.5 6.5 2.5 24.5
Ireland 7.6 3.8 5.5 6.4 23.3
New Zealand 7.2 4.5 3.9 4.7 20.3
Japan 7.1 4.5 4 2.2 17.8
Total 29.9 20.3 19.9 15.8
The table compares four countries in terms of the number of people who watch
four different genres of film at the cinema: Action, Romance, Comedy and Horror.
The table indicates that more Indian people watch films at the cinema than the
other three nationalities. In all four countries, Action is the most popular genre of
film. The total number of viewers for action films is nearly 30 million and in each
country about 7-8 million people watch them.
Not many people like watching horror films at the cinema compared to the other
genres of film. In India and Japan only 2-2.5 million people watch horror films but
they are more popular in New Zealand and Ireland. On the other hand, romance
films are very popular in India with 7.5 million viewers but it is not as popular in
the other countries. New Zealand and Japan come next with 4.5 million viewers
each.
IELTS Writing Task 1: SET -2
The graph below shows the amount of money spent on books in Germany, France, Italy and Austria
between 1995 and 2005. Write at least 150 words. {20 minutes on this task}
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
The line graph compares the amount of money spent on buying books in
Germany, France, Italy and Austria over a period of ten years between 1995 and
2005.
In 1995 Austria spent the least amount of money on books, while Italy and France
spent about as much as each other. However, by 2001, the gap in spending
between these two countries had widened and considerably more money was
spent in France than In Italy.
As can be seen from the graph, the amount of money spent increased in all four
countries but rose the most dramatically in Austria. The period between 2000
and 2005 saw a sharp growth and in 2005 the Austrians spent three times as
much money as they did in 1995.
However, during this ten-year period, Germany remained the biggest spenders on
book, with all three other countries spending much less on them.
IELTS Writing Task 1: SET -3
The charts give information about two genres of TV programmes watched by men and women
and four different age groups in Australia. {20 minutes on this task}.Write at least 150 words.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
It is clear from the charts that women tend to watch more television than man overall, although
they watch slightly fewer game shows. The people who watch the most television are in the 45+
age group. Nearly 70% of women watch reality shows, which is almost twice as many as the
percentage of men who choose this genre of programme. Nevertheless, most age groups watch
more reality shows than game shows revealing that game shows are generally less popular than
reality shows. The percentage of people watching reality shows increases steadily from ages 16
to 45 with the lowest / smallest percentage of viewers, at just over 50% of the age group 16-24
and the highest / biggest / largest / greatest percentage, at 68% of the over-45s. However, the
pattern is different for game shows. The number of programmes watched by 25- to 44-year-olds
is significantly / considerably lower than the number watched by 16- to 24-year-olds and those
over 45. Just over 50% of 16- to 24-year-olds watch game shows, but this share is not as high as
the share of people aged 45 and over watching game shows, at nearly 70%. Only 41% of 35- to
44-year-olds watch game shows and the share of 24- to 34-year-olds is slightly / even lower at
38%.
IELTS Writing Task 2: SET -1
Some people think that professional athletes make good role models for young people, while
others believe they don’t.
Write at least 250 words. Discuss both these points of views and give your own opinion.
{40 minutes on this task}
Model answer-
People everywhere like watching sports. Many top athletes are admired throughout their countries, and
some even have fans all around the world. Young people especially, view many athletes as role models
and want to emulate the way these stars dress, act and live their lives. While some athletes aren't
deserving of their "role model" status, others act like role models and responsible community citizens.
Top athletes get the attention of young people. Most children and teenagers like to follow professional
sports. For many of them, star athletes represent heroes, and children want to be like their heroes. This
means they will want to play sports, which is good for their health. Playing sports also teaches valuable
life lessons such as teamwork, discipline, goal setting, and the realities of dealing with success and
failure. Professional athletes demonstrate the importance of working hard to achieve a goal, or
practicing regularly to become good at something. This is a good example for children to follow.
However, professional athletes are not always good role models. For one thing, when young athletes
reach a level of fame, it comes with media attention, large financial benefits and social attention. This
can lead children to believe that money and fame are an important part of sports. Children might focus
more on these aspects than on the fun of the game or on the challenge of learning how to play well.
Then there are those athletes who behave badly. For example, some cheat to win their games or take
drugs to improve their performance. This kind of behavior sends the wrong message to children.
Athletes are people who are held at a lofty place in the society owing to their popularity and wealth.
These attributes are what makes people want to look up to them and model various facets of their lives
along those of the athletes. We can thus be led to conclude that professional athletes can be very good
role models for children, as long as they focus on the positive aspects of playing sports.
IELTS Writing Task 2: SET -2
Write about the following topic: {40 minutes on this task} Write at least 250 words.
As mass communication and transport continue to grow, societies are becoming more and
more alike leading to a phenomenon known as globalization. Some people fear that
globalization will inevitably lead to the total loss of cultural identity.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Model answer
Globalization means that in some ways people around the world are becoming more and more
similar. We often eat the same food, watch the same TV programmes, listen to the same music
and we wear the same clothes. Some of this at least can be blamed on the spread of
multinational brands available all over the world.
On the surface, it may appear as if the global diversity of cultural identities is being lost. If, the
argument goes, people in Tokyo and London look and dress the same, then that must mean
that cultural differences are disappearing. However, I would argue that this is a very narrow
definition of culture and that in fact cultural differences are as present as ever.
Cultural Identity is built on far more than just the films we watch or the jeans we wear. The
foundation of cultural identity is shared values. When you look in detail at different cultures,
you realize that the things that are important to one culture can be very different from the
things valued by another culture.
Take my own culture, India, as an example and compare it to a very different culture, Japan.
Although I have never visited Japan personally, I believe that it is a culture which places a lot of
value on hard work and that people often work very long hours. The Indian people, in contrast,
greatly value their leisure time and strive to spend as much lime with their family as they
possibly can. Even if we consume the same products, I would argue that there are still some
very deep-rooted differences.
To summarize, I do not accept that that total loss of cultural identity is inevitable, despite the
influence of large companies and their products around the globe.
IELTS Writing Task 2: SET -3
Write about the following topic: {40 minutes on this task} -Write at least 250 words.
Some people feel that certain workers like nurses, doctors and teachers are undervalued and
should be paid more, especially when other people like film actors or company bosses are
paid huge sums of money that are out of proportion to the importance of the work that they
do.
-How far do you agree?
-What criteria should be used to decide how much people are paid?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with
examples and relevant evidence.
IELTS Writing Task 2: SET -4
Write about the following topic: {40 minutes on this task} -Write at least 250 words.
Some people think women should be allowed to join the army, the navy and the air force just
like men. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer.
