Table of Contents
How to Write IELTS Writing Task?
GENERAL TIPS AND STRATEGIES TO DO WELL IN IELTS WRITING MODULE
Writing module is divided into two task types, one of which (TASK II) is common for the Academic and the General Training Test Takers, while the other (TASK I) is different for the two. The common task is essay writing for which the test takers get 40 minutes to write. Task I involves graph/diagram/table writing (summarizing) for Academic Test Takers, and letter writing for General Training Test Takers. In both the cases, the students write the assignment in their own hand, and the time allowed is 20 minutes in each case.
Writing Do’s and Don’ts
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| A. Understand the topic before starting to write. | A. Do not make your writing unorganized and confused. |
| B. Plan the write up before starting to write | B. Do not change your position in the essay. |
| C. Make the write up clear and appealing. Write in legible hand | C. Do not smudge corrections, for this may make your writing largely unreadable. |
| D. Divide the write up into paragraphs and follow a specific format. | D. Do not write in a single long paragraph. |
| E. Ensure that you know leave enough time for final check of your write up. | E. Do not ignore spellings and punctuation. |
Steps of Writing
1. PLANNING
Before you start writing, make a plan. You don’t get makes for your plan, but having a plan will help make your writing more organized and you do get marks for that. Your write up plan is like a building plan. Surely, you do not raise a building without having a building plan in hand; an unplanned building will be more likely to disappoint you. The same disappointment is bound to come with an unplanned write up, also.
You make a plan by thinking about the question and deciding what you will write about. Your plan is, list of what you will write, written in a very short way. Some people find it useful to write the plan down on the Question Paper. Do not write your plan on the Answer Sheet. Some people prefer to imagine the plan in their minds. You can decide which way is better for you,
For every task, first read the question carefully and then develop a plan. The plan should be like a list. Each point in the list will become a paragraph when you write up or you can even mould your items in the list to fit in the structure or plan of your essay.
2. FOCUSING
The writing task is to test whether you know to write appropriately and accurately. You must use the appropriate ‘style’, which means using the right type of language for a specific situation, for a specific reader. In the IELTS test, you must do only what the task tells you to do and no more than that. You must write about a particular topic for a particular reader. Focusing on your reader will help you make sure that everything you write is relevant. If you do not do what the task tells you to do, you will be penalized. For example, if the task asks you to give your opinion about whether school children should wear uniform, do not write about taking examinations at school. That is not relevant. Id the task asks you to give your opinion about banning smoking, do not write about banning alcohol. That is not relevant and you will be penalized.
3. CHECKING
It is important to check your writing while you write and again after you finished writing. You need to check for:
1. Clarity and relevant
2. Grammatical accuracy
3. Presentation
The more mistakes you make in a piece of writing and more difficult it is to read and make sense of what you are trying to say.
