Academic and General Training Writing Part 2

Exam Format

Minutes

IELTS Academic

The Writing component of IELTS Academic includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest to, and suitable for candidates entering undergraduate and postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.

Task 1
You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.
Task 2
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.

IELTS General Training

The Writing component of IELTS General Training includes two tasks which are based on topics of general interest.

Task 1

You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.

Task 2
You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

Source: http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/what_is_ielts/test_format.aspx

Academic Writing Part 1

Sample Question You should spend 20 minutes on this task The charts below show intended purchases for valentine's day by gender, and the proportions of how money is spent on gifts. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant Write at least 150 words

An Overview is a summary of the main trends in a graph. Without this a candidate cannot achieve higher than 5 for Task Achievement (see band scores). It also provides the framework for the rest of the task

Can you see the main trends in the above task? Put them next to the bullet points.

Write an overview below using the above.

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In the body for academic part 1, a successful candidate should select details from the table to support the trends described in the overview, comparing and contrasting the data.

Write a sentence describing the first trend from the data mentioned above.

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Alternative tasks

You will not always have a graph in the exam. Sometimes a candidates need to describe a place an object or a process. For example:

Comparing two maps: often where there has been redevelopment of an old industrial area
The life cycle of an animal such as a fish or butterfly
The process of recycling for materials such as food, rubbish or industrial waste
Natural cycles such as The Greenhouse effect, The water Cycle or formation of fossil fuels.

The overview will be shorter, but it is still necessary. Use clauses and typical use passive tenses.

Academic and General Training Writing Part 2

What’s involved?	In Writing Task 2, you are given a topic to write about. Your answer should discuss the most relevant issues. You must read the task carefully so that you can write a full answer that is relevant. For example, if the topic is a particular aspect of the wider topic of computers, you should focus on this aspect only in your answer. You should not simply write about computers in general. You should write in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. You will need to organise your ideas clearly and make sure you use relevant examples (which can be from your own experience, if relevant) or evidence. You should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task. You must write at least 250 words and will be penalised if your answer is too short. While you will not be penalised for writing more than 250 words, if you write a very long answer you may not have time for checking and correcting at the end and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the question. You may also produce handwriting which is unclear. Task 2 contributes twice as much to your final Writing band score as Task 1. Therefore, if you do not answer this task, you will not be able to achieve a high band score. You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). Finally, you should make sure that you do not copy directly from the question paper because this will not be marked. You must write your answers in the answer booklet.
What skills are tested?	This task tests if you can write a clear, relevant, well-organised argument, giving evidence or examples to support your ideas, and use language accurately. You will be assessed on your ability to: 1. present and justify an opinion 2. compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications 3. evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument.
How much do I have to write?	You must write a minimum of 250 words.

Materials sourced from http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/ielts/index.html

SAMPLE TASK

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2012 there may be as many as 35 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words

Understanding the question is crucial to writing an effective answer. Before starting the essay, the candidate needs to make sure they respond correctly and that the plan the answer.

Underline the key words and try to paraphrase the question above.

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The response to the question needs to be clear before you start writing. This can be done with key words in the following format:

Response	Reason	Evidence

Complete the above with key words or phrases based on the sample question on page 9.

You now have the basis for an effective essay. The overall structure you can use is as follows

Introduction
Body paragraph one
Body paragraph two
Conclusion

How would you write an introduction for the above essay?

Each body paragraph can be organised according to the following structure

Opinion
Reason for opinion
Evidence to support this

Now write a body paragraph based on the ideas in your plan above

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The conclusion is simply a summary of what you have put in the body. What would you include for the above essay?

Finally if the question has two parts, then both must be answered. For example:

A recent survey has shown that people of all ages are losing the ability to perform basic practical tasks and processes at work. What do you think are the main causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?

If the candidate only describes causes, or only solutions, then the mark for Task Response will be a maximum of 5. The best way to deal with this when planning is to dedicate each body paragraph to each part. For example:

Paragraph	Answer	Reason with Evidence
Causes
solution

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1603

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