ACD IELTS Writing Tasks One

Useful Phrases and tips

Introducing the topic

• The graph shows… / The table reveals…

• The chart displays… / The diagram illustrates…

• Some interesting facts concerning…… (POLLUTION LEVEL – INCIDENCE OF AAA – PERCENTAGE OF ..)  are revealed in the diagram.

• Several key trends are revealed by the graph showing………

Introducing the first set of data

• Beginning with the…

• To begin with the…

• Let me begin by describing the…

Introducing the second set of data

• Meanwhile, the… (POLLUTION LEVEL – INCIDENCE OF AAA – PERCENTAGE OF ..) shows that…

• As for the… , it shows that…

• Turning to the… , it can be seen that…

Introducing the first major trend

• First of all, it is clear that…

• Most noticeably of all, it can be seen that…

• The first result worth pointing out is that…

Introducing lesser trends

• Another trend that can be observed is that…

• It is also worth pointing out that…

• Also worth noting is that…

 

Exceptions to the main trend

• However, this was not always the case.

• However, it should be pointed out that…

• There was one noticeable exception, however.

Comparing and contrasting

• Similarly, … / By contrast, …

• A similar trend can be observed in…

• The results for… , however, reveal a markedly different trend.

Adding figures

• The figures were X and Y respectively.

• …, at X. / …, with Y. (Usage note: use ‘at’ when you mean ‘the figure was’; use ‘with’ when you mean ‘something had’)

• …, at/with X and Y respectively.

Concluding and summarising

• To sum up, … / In summary, … / In short, …

• Overall, … / On the whole, …

• The main thing that can be observed here is that…

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It can be clearly seen from the chart / table/ graph / diagram that ……….

 

The percentage was 30% in 1950. This rose to 60% in 2000 and is expected to rise further to 80% by 2025.

Top 10 writing tips for IELTS

1. Write in a formal style

You should always use a formal style which is suitable for academic writing. It should be neutral and impersonal. Avoid using contractions: write did not instead of didn't, cannot instead of can't, I will instead of I'll etc. Where there is an informal word and a formal word which mean the same thing, it is a good idea to use the formal word. For example, use inexpensive instead of cheap. Cheap is not wrong, but inexpensive sounds more academic.

2. Don't be too personal

For Task 1, you should not include any personal information or opinions. For Task 2, you can include some personal experiences and opinions, but only if they are directly relevant to the topic. They should not take up more than about a quarter of the composition. The bulk of the composition should be about the topic in the general sense.

3. Be careful giving strong opinions

You can give a strong opinion if you do it in a calm academic way. You must support your argument with examples and your writing must not seem angry. Your composition must not be racist, sexist or contain any very extreme opinions. This is not because the examiner will disagree with you (the examiner will not be interested in your opinions). It is because expressing opinions of that type is not acceptable in academic writing.

4. Stay on the topic

Every part of your composition must be directly relevant to the question. Anything which is not relevant will lose you marks.

5. Don't address the reader

Ocassionally it may be acceptable to use the impersonal form of you (for example, you get what you pay for) but you should never address the reader personally (for example I'm sure you know what I mean).

6. Don't try to be funny

Write in a serious way. You could perhaps end a Task 2 composition with a mildly humorous sentence if it neatly sums up the composition, but other than that there should be no jokes.

7. Use a variety of grammar to contrast ideas

Here are some ways to contrast two seemingly opposite ideas. These examples are all different ways of expressing the fact that that snakes do not have legs, but many can move quite fast.

Although snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Even though snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast, even though they have no legs.
Despite having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
In spite of having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast despite having no legs.
Many nakes can move quite fast in spite of having no legs.
Snakes of course have no legs. However, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can, however, move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can move quite fast, however.
While snakes of course have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Nevertheless, many can move quite fast.

9. Use fixed expressions in Task 1

Task 1 often gives information about changes over time. There are lots of academic-sounding phrases you can use. For example:

The figures clearly indicate that...
The general trend is one of...
Overall, the figures show that...
Over the ten year period...
The most significant development is that...

10. Ask yourself ……….

Question #1: Is what you wrote relevant?

First and foremost, anything you write for both tasks must be stick to the question. For example, let`s say the question ask to write about the effect of smoking on public health and you are writing about effect of smoke from automobiles which is unrelated to the question. On the other hand, you should not write several sentences which basically say the same thing to maintain redundancy of your writing.

 

Question #2: Can you provide practical example?

On of the best ways to create a great writing is to provide examples of every argument. A good writing presents facts and figures that have known to the source of question. In the task-1, these supportive figures could be data from the table or graph. In the task-2 these are supportive examples of arguments.

 

Question #3: Do you take care of the grammar and spelling ?

Did you know your writing can easily get lower band score for common grammatical and spelling mistakes? The examiner will not be bothered with minor mistakes but if the whole writing is filled with such errors that it could be difficult for him/her to give you a good score. In fact you can eliminate that chance by a thorough proof reading after finishing the writing before time get expired.

 

Question #4 : Are you providing insightful information beyond the question?

Insightful information- It sounds good, doesn’t it? If you think that will improve your score, you are wrong. Presenting something beyond the scope of the question will be negatively remarked by the examiner. For example, you are writing about the population data in New York over the last 20 years and you are giving reason behind those data raise or fall. But, the question doesn’t state any reason for those changes that you completely create from your mind. So, something like this should be avoided in your writing.

 

Question #5: Do you satisfy the word limits?

In task-1 of IELTS writing the word limit is 150 while it is 250 for task-2 essay. A candidate may write a clear detailed, well structured essay in 210 words in task-2 and do you think examiner will mark it as a good writing. No, the writing will be penalized for lower word counts. In fact, you should write around 150-180 words in task-1 and 260-290 words in task-2.

Question #6: Do you attract the attention?
The attention span of humans is short. Readers always forget what it written in previous paragraphs of a passage. The secret is to keep your sentences sharp and snappy with cohesion and coherence in your writing. Coherence means organized writing, maintain a logical progression or skillfully manage the paragraphs. Cohesion is how you bring coherence to your writing by using range of linking words/phrases e.g. `subsequently`, `as a matter of fact`. Following these easy techniques, you will be achieving attention of examiner.

Question #7: Do you use wide range of vocabulary?
Using same word again and again can board the reader. So, you need sophisticated control of lexical resources which are suitable for the topic. A good writing should use right words together to convey precise meaning which is also known as `collocation`. Believe it or not, the examiners adore topic specific vocabulary.

 

Conclusion

IELTS Writing in very good or expert level takes time. It need continuous proactive with patience. But, the payoff for this hard work is worth it because it will not only be invaluable for your IELTS exam but for your academic and professional life.