Dominic Cole’s IELTS Blog
http://ilsielts.blogspot.com/
Format of Academic IELTS writing The writing paper lasts for 60 minutes and 2 questions.
Task a report an essay
Suggested time 20 minutes 40 minutes 150 250
Minimum words
Task 1 - a report In task 1 you are given a graph, chart, table or diagram of a process to describe. Question type Task Opinions Paragraphs describe a chart, table, graph or diagram or a combination of these summarise the main features and illustrate them with examples the task is to describe only and not give your opinions you need paragraphs, but you need not have a separate paragraph for your introduction and conclusion
Task 2 - an essay In task 2 you are asked to write an essay. Question type Task Key language
write either an opinion based or argument based essay on a non-academic topic
present a coherent argument you need the language of general English, not the language of specific academic topics
Grading There are 4 areas in which your writing will be graded. You should note that each of these is worth 25% of your total mark. Task 2, the essay, is worth twice as marks as task 1.
Dominic Cole’s IELTS Blog
http://ilsielts.blogspot.com/
Task response How well do you answer the question: this includes whether you answer all parts of the question, write enough words and write in the correct format
Lexical resource The range and accuracy of your vocabulary: this includes whether your vocabulary is suitable to the task and whether you only use common words
Grammatical range and accuracy The range and accuracy of your grammar: this includes not just how many mistakes you make, but also whether you also use more complex structures
Coherence and cohesion How well your writing is organised: this includes organising how your sentences link together and how your paragraphs are organised
You should also note that the examiner is also likely to start by giving your writing an overall score: “What do I generally think about this piece of writing?”. Therefore you should take care of the appearance of your writing.
Some common penalties Not writing enough words You need to write at least 150 and 250 words. If you write too many words (325 +) there is no penalty, but you are unlikely to be using your best English. If you repeat whole phrases or sentences from the question, they will not count towards the total words. In task 1 any language which gives your personal opinion will not count towards the total words. Bad use paragraphs If you do not use paragraphs, you will be penalised.
Dominic Cole’s IELTS Blog
http://ilsielts.blogspot.com/
Each paragraph should be about one main idea. If your paragraphs are disorganised, you will be penalised Not answering the question Each question gives you a specific task. In task 2, you will be penalised if you do not clearly state your answer to that task. In task 2, some questions contain 2 separate questions. You will be penalised if you do not answer both of them. In task 1, you will be penalised if you do not identify the main points or if you do not illustrate those points with details. Being irrelevant In task 2, if the question asks you about the effect of television on society, you should not write about computers. In task 1, you should not