ielts general writing essay plan

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

Test Information FAQ
Band Scores
IELTS Candidate Success Tips
Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
How to Prepare
Useful Links & Resources
Recommended Books
Writing Task 1
Writing Task 2
Speaking Part 1 Topics
Speaking Part 2 Topics
Speaking Part 3 Topics
100 Essay Questions
On The Day Tips
Top Results
Advanced IELTS

IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models

Success in IELTS writing task 2 is based on using the right techniques. These free tips, model essays, lessons, videos and information will help develop the skills for writing task 2. This page will teach you how to maximise your IELTS writing task 2 score.

All lessons are on this page are for both GT and Academic writing task 2.

On this page, you will find for free:

Test Information for Writing Task 2
Practice essay questions
Essential tips for IELTS writing task 2
Free video lessons
Model essays
Practice lessons to improve your IELTS essay writing (paraphrasing, skills, ideas, spelling etc

Although some lessons are dated from years ago, all lessons and tips are 100% relevant to IELTS writing task 2 today.

1. IELTS Writing Task 2 Test Information

Learn about your IELTS writing task 2 test.

IELTS recommend you spend no more than 40 mins on writing task 2. However, the time is yours to manage as you wish.
You should write over 250 words. In the lessons below you will learn about word count and essay length.
Learn how your total writing score is calculated: Total Writing Score Calculations
Task Response (25%)
Coherence & Cohesion (25%)
Vocabulary (25%)
Grammar (25%)
For band score tips and details, see this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Scores
Academic writing task 2 is a formal essay. The common types of essays are: Opinion, Discussion, Advantage/Disadvantage, Direct Questions, Solutions. These categorisations will differ from teacher to teacher depending on how they like to teach. See below for 100 IELTS Essay Questions to practise at home.
GT writing task 2 is the same as Academic IELTS. The essay is written in the same way and the scoring is the same. The only difference is that GT essay questions are often easier and topics are simpler.
All words will be counted, even small or repeated words. See this page: How Words are Counted
COMPUTER DELIVERED IELTS: See the following link to read Pros and Cons of Computer Based IELTS :
For more information about IELTS test rules and info, see this page: IELTS Test FAQ

2. IELTS Practice Essay Questions

Practice essay questions to help you prepare ideas for topics in IELTS writing task 2. These questions have been written based on questions reported by IELTS students. They are not IELTS tests.

Over 100 IELTS Essay Questions

3. Essential IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips

The most important writing tips for a strong IELTS essay in writing task 2. Learn about the recommended essay length, how to plan your essay, when to give your opinion and how to write an introduction etc.

How many paragraphs for an IELTS essay? : Essay structure

Key Linking Words List : Academic Vocabulary

Types of IELTS Essays : Main Essay Types in Writing Task 2

Video: How to write an introduction paragraph : Complete lesson

Essay Planning Tips : How to plan your IELTS essay

Common Essay Topics : 20 Most Common Essay Topics

Video: Essay Length Advice : How long should your essay be?

Video: Official Writing Answer Sheet Tips : Using the answer sheet

When to give your opinion : Opinion Essay Tips

Video Using the last 5 minutes : Exam technique tips

Video: Paraphrasing Tips

Finding Ideas : Developing ideas for essay topics

4. More Video & Tips for Writing Task 2

Deleting Words in your Essay
Should I indent the first word of my paragraphs?
10 sentences to avoid in your IELTS essay
Video: How to add examples to your essay
Tips: Under Words Penalty
Do advantages outweigh disadvantages tips?
Video: How to give your opinion
Can you use quotes, idioms or proverbs in your essay?
Handwriting: Using cursive writing or not
Essay Questions from 2016
Writing a Long Introduction: Good or Bad?
Video : Single-sex & Mixed Schools
Video : Grammar – How to Add a Clause
Video : Grammar – Connecting Sentences
Video : Conclusion Linkers
Video : Discussion Essay Useful Language
Video : Using the Last 5 Minutes Tips
Video : Should Ideas be Interesting?
New Essay Topics for 2023

All Free IELTS Writing Task 2 Videos Lessons

5. Model Essays

Sample essays for IELTS writing task 2. These high score model essays will help you understand how to answer the essay questions and how to structure your writing.

Agree Disagree Opinion Essay: Health
Advantages & Disadvantages Essay: Language
Cause Solution Essay: Crime & Punishment
Direct Questions Essay: Happiness
Opinion Essay: Social Media
Discussion Essay: Work
Direct Questions Essay: Family
Direct Questions Essay: Art
Positive or Negative Development: Social Media
2 Model Essays about Economy & Money /Buildings
Model Essay & Question for Topic of Education
Two Question Essay: Technology

6. Practice Lessons for Writing Task 2

Develop your IELTS writing skills and get useful ideas for many essay questions. Lessons are in order of date and new lessons will be added over time.

New Essay Topics in 2023 (these are new topics only. You also need to prepare all common topics as well)
IELTS Essay Topics Prediction 2022
Grammar Test : Using “the” with countries and nationalities
Paraphrasing Practice 1
Paraphrasing Practice 2
Paraphrasing Practice 3
Essay Questions for 2017 – questions reported in the test this year.
Using Passive Voice for Giving Opinions
Essay Ideas: Employment Competition
Writing Skills: Paraphrasing Practice
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences (2)
Essay Ideas: The Importance of History
Essay Ideas: Housing & Trees
Essay Ideas: International Aid
Essay Ideas: City Transport
Essay Ideas: Salaries
Essay Ideas: Function of Schools
Essay Ideas: Female Staff in Senior Positions
Writing Skills: Punctuation Practice
Writing Skills: Linking Word Practice
Essay Ideas: Littering in Cities
Listen and Write Dictation: Natural Disasters
Discussion Essay with Feedback: Music Topic
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences: Ebooks Topic
Essay Ideas: Banning Mobile Phones
Two Question Essay with Feedback: Judging Business Success
Essay Ideas: Tourism and Local Communities
Essay Ideas: Traffic & Pollution
Writing Skills: Improving a Thesis Statement
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences (1)
Essay Ideas: Handwriting Skills
Essay Ideas: Promoting to Children
Essay Ideas: Older or Younger Leaders
Writing Skills: Introduction Feedback
Writing Skill: Opinion Essay Introduction Feedback
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Body Paragraphs
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Introduction
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Finding Main Points
Writing Skills: Thesis Statement
Essay Ideas: Public Services .

………………

Free Subscribe to Receive New Posts by Email

Type your email…

Advanced IELTS Lessons & E-books

Click Below to Learn:

IELTS Test Information

Copyright Notice

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

Click here: Privacy Policy
Click here: Disclaimer

Return to top of page

IELTS General Writing Task 2: Essay Sample Answers

IELTS General Writing Task 2: Essay Sample Answers

The 2nd task in IELTS General Writing is to write an essay. Here are the examples of successful responses for a high score. Pay attention to the structure of the answer and how paragraphs composition; main ideas and the examples they are supported with.

IELTS General Writing Task 2 looks like this (part in bold changes).

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest times of most people's lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness, in spite of greater responsibilities. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

In this task you should: Explain the first point of view Explain the second point of view Add your opinion

Sample answer:

What's the happiest time in people's lives: youth or old age; school, career or retirement? All of these have been suggested, but teenage years and adulthood both have many supporters.

Those who believe teenagers are the happiest people cite their lack of responsibilities as a significant factor. They are supported financially and emotionally by their parents, and although they may be included in family decisions, they're not ultimately responsible. However, adolescents are on the threshold of adult life: they're old enough to get a part-time job, so they can enjoy their first taste of financial independence, and their future study and career lie ahead.

Away from these serious concerns, young people have an active social life with their friends, often simply by hanging out with them. And of course, there’s the excitement of first love and first heartbreak. With all this to experience, teenagers see their parents' lives as boring and stressful.

However, the reverse is also true. Adults see anxious, self-dramatising adolescents, and appreciate the joys of maturity. These may include a contented family life, long-lasting friendships and a career. Long-term relationships may not have the fireworks of adolescence, but are stronger for it, because of the wealth of shared experience. At work, many of us are challenged and stimulated by the increasing, professional skills we acquire, which ensures that our jobs remain interesting.

The greatest benefit, though, is that maturity gives you greater confidence in your own judgement, in all areas of life. You’re not afraid to express your opinion when others disagree and, unlike a teenager, you know when to let things go.

Both these periods can be happy times, but I look back at my own teenage years, with no desire to go back. Adult life may be less dramatic, but fireworks don’t keep you warm

In cities and towns all over the world the high volume of traffic is a problem.

What are the causes of this and what actions can be taken to solve this problem?

It is undoubtedly the case that urban areas around the world increasingly suffer from congestion. In this essay, I examine the reasons for this trend and suggest some practical policies the authorities could implement to reduce the level of traffic in our cities.

The first step is to understand why traffic has increased in towns and cities. Broadly speaking, there are three main reasons for this. One is that cars have become more affordable for the average consumer and they are no longer a luxury item, but something that most families expect to own. A second reason is that public transport has become increasingly unreliable in recent years, not least because many bus and train services have been reduced because of the difficulty in funding them. The third reason is that society has in general become more mobile and this means more people are prepared to commute to work by car than they were before.

There is almost certainly no one solution to this problem given the complexity of its causes. However, one option has to be to improve the reliability of public transport to encourage people to take the bus or the train rather than get in the car. It would also be possible to discourage people from driving to work by introducing special tariffs for using the roads, especially during peak periods. A successful example of this is the congestion charge scheme in London which has certainly reduced the level of trafficin inner-city areas.

In conclusion, there are a variety of different factors that have led to rising levels of traffic in urban areas. While it may not be possible to find a complete solution, any action should probably involve encouraging greater use of public transport and making it more expensive for the motorist to drive in urban areas.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people believe that children should be allowed to stay at home and play until they are six or seven years old. Others believe that it is important for young children to go to school as soon as possible. What do you think are the advantages of attending school from a young age? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Here we write about the benefits. Remember: 1 advantage = 1 paragraph.

In many places today, children start primary school at around the age of six or seven. However, because it is more likely now that both parents work, there is little opportunity for children to stay in their own home up to that age. Instead, they will probably go to a nursery school when they are much younger. While some people think this may be damaging to a child’s development, or to a child’s relationship with his or her parents, in fact there are many advantages to having school experience at a young age. Firstly, a child will learn to interact with a lot of different people and some children learn to communicate very early because of this. They are generally more confident and independent than children who stay at home with their parents and who are not used to strangers or new situations. Such children find their first day at school at the age of six very frightening and this may have a negative effect on how they learn. Another advantage of going to school at an early age is that children develop faster socially. They make friends and learn how to get on with other children of a similar age. This is often not possible at home because they are the only child, or because their brothers or sisters are older or younger. So overall, I believe that, attending school from a young age is good for most children. They still spend plenty of time at home with their parents, so they can benefit from both environments.

You are here:
Prepare for IELTS
IELTS Writing
How to check IELTS Results
IELTS Academic and IELTS General: differences and similarities
Computer delivered IELTS
IELTS Band Scores and English levels comparison chart
IELTS Exam: Test structure and Format
Essay Structure
Detailed Analysis
Academic Task 1
Academic Task 2
IELTS Vocabulary
IELTS Listening
IELTS Reading
IELTS Speaking
IELTS Writing Course
Punctuation Guide
Teacher Training: How to Teach IELTS
Teacher Training: IELTS Writing for Teachers
IELTS Training Sessions for Teachers
Master IELTS General: Letters

IELTS Scores
Life Skills Test
Find a Test Centre
Alternatives to IELTS
General Training
Academic Word List
Topic Vocabulary
Collocation
Phrasal Verbs
Writing eBooks
Reading eBook
All eBooks & Courses
IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Essay

How to Write an IELTS Essay

In this introductory lesson you will find some guidance on how you should write an IELTS essay .

There are then more lessons on the following pages for different types of essay and different questions, with lots of tips and strategies for achieving a high score.

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Essay Types

It is important to learn about IELTS essays because there are different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them.

However, as you will see from the guidance on this page, they can all follow the same basic structure.

These are some of the types of IELTS essays you can get in the test:

Agree / disagree
Discuss two opinions
Advantages & disadvantages
Causes (reasons) & solutions
Causes (reasons) & effects
Problems & solutions

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do.

You may get some of these tasks mixed up. For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss the advantages or disadvantages of it.

The golden rule is to ALWAYS read the question very carefully to see exactly what you are being asked to do.

The second lesson explains more about analysing essay questions.

How do I Write an IELTS Essay?

In order to answer this, lets first look at a sample question:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email. However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There are three key elements:

Introduction
Body Paragraphs

We will look at each of these in turn, using the essay question above as an example.

1) Introduction

You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from the question)
Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms the writers opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does). The writer clearly agrees as he/she thinks there will be more negative impacts.

View this lesson for more advice on writing IELTS essay introductions.

2) Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less.

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this.

Lets look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph:

On the positive side, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster. This has resulted in numerous benefits for commerce and business as there is no need to wait weeks for letters or take time sending faxes, which was the case in the past. Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet. These developments have made life far easier and more convenient for many.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and the spread of computer viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in different words)
Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe that these are outweighed by the drawbacks. In the future these will need to be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.

The Full IELTS Essay

(290 Words)

The IELTS essay introduction talks in general about the increasing use of IT, thus introducing the topic well. The thesis then clearly sets out the writers opinion.

The following paragraph mentions the present benefits of these developments, but the opening sentence in the third paragraph is a qualifying statement (Nevertheless, not all the effects... ), so the writer can now focus on the negative elements.

The fourth paragraph provides two other negative examples (lack of regulation, viruses). Both paragraphs suggest that these problems will continue in the future.

The essay concludes with a clear opinion that agrees with the statement.

Overall, it is a well-balanced text that mentions the present situation ( ...this has made life.. .) but importantly, also refers to the future of IT (. ..likely to increase..., might get worse. ..).

Now you know the basics of writing an IELTS Essay, you can go on and look at further sample essays or if you prefer, check out the next lessons for Writing Task 2.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Strategies and Tips

In IELTS problem solution essays you have to discuss a particular issue and present ideas to solve that problem.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Before you go...

Check out the ielts buddy band 7+ ebooks & courses.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

All Lessons
Band Score Calculator
Writing Feedback
Speaking Feedback
Teacher Resources
Free Downloads
Recent Essay Exam Questions
Books for IELTS Prep
Useful Links

Recent Articles

Useful Language for IELTS Graphs

May 16, 24 04:44 AM

Taking a Gap Year

May 14, 24 03:00 PM

IELTS Essay: Loving Wildlife and Nature

May 10, 24 02:36 AM

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

The official IELTS by IDP app is here! Download it today.

IELTS tests IELTS Academic IELTS General Training IELTS UKVI IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS Academic? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS ACADEMIC IELTS on paper IELTS on computer IELTS Online LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS General Training? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS GENERAL TRAINING IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS UKVI? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS UKVI IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS One Skill Retake? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test READ MORE ABOUT IELTS ONE SKILL RETAKE Who accepts IELTS One Skill Retake? FIND THE RIGHT TEST IELTS for study IELTS for work IELTS for migration

English self-assessment tool

Check your language level and get personalised suggestions on how to improve your English and prepare for IELTS.

Get your results

Check your provisional IELTS results online and do more.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 steps towards a band 8

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you will need to write an essay. Let our IELTS Experts walk you through 8 steps that can help you get a band 8. Take a closer look at the assessment criteria, how to structure your essay and common mistakes to avoid.

Content Tags

To achieve a band 8 in IELTS Writing Task 2 , you will need to produce an essay that contains all the positive features contained in the band 8 writing assessment criteria. Let's take a look at these in the table below.

Using the band descriptors as a guide we are going to go through the 8 steps to get you on your way to a band 8 in Writing Task 2.

We will start with the task response before moving through all the criteria to show you what an examiner will be looking for in your response.

Step 1: Answer is relevant to the question

Answer what you have been asked in the question. Don’t produce an essay that is close to a topic you have previously prepared. Make sure your examples and ideas are relevant. If you generalise too much and are not specific enough this will affect how your ideas are presented to the examiner.

Make sure your ideas are directly related to the question 

Use ideas and examples that you are familiar with, and that relate directly to the topic

Extend your answer to include a number of ideas that will support the question.

Don't:

Include irrelevant information 

Over-generalise 

Produce a memorised essay

Present ‘recent’ research or statistics related to the topic “At least 41% of all men…”

Step 2: Answer all parts of the question

You must read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it. You must answer all parts of the question to reach a band 6 or higher.

Let’s look at some example IELTS question prompts and see how many parts are in each, if you need to present your opinion. Remember, it is very important to present a clear position when answering the statement to show that you understand the question being asked and to keep that position clear throughout the essay.

Read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it

Present your opinion and support it throughout the whole essay

If asked to present both views, make sure each view is presented equally (similar paragraph length)

Watch for plurals. If you are asked to give ‘advantages’, you must present a minimum of 2

Watch for ‘and’. You may need to comment on more than one element

Write more than 250 words.

Don’t:

Ignore parts of the question

Assume that your opinion is clear, use the first person to ensure the examiner knows it’s your opinion ‘I think’

Tell the examiner what you are going to say and what you have said

Produce a short essay.

Step 3: Organise your essay logically, with clear progression using linking phrases

Ideas must be expressed and ordered clearly - starting with an introduction and moving through to a conclusion.

If you are asked to present both views and your opinion, state your opinion at the beginning of the essay and then move on to present both views. You can then come back to your own opinion and then conclude the essay. This is a logical way to present these ideas.

Use a range of linking words and phrases, but don’t overuse them

Use adverbial phrases, rather than single basic linkers

Use referencing and substitution to avoid repetition (this/them/the issue/the problem)

Use punctuation to make your writing coherent

Make sure your ideas are sequenced correctly

Make sure your ideas are logical and easy to follow

Use a separate paragraph for the introduction and the conclusion 

Use one paragraph for each idea or topic area.

Overuse basic linking words like firstly (instead, try using ‘The first reason for/ The primary reason for this’)

Start every sentence with a linker (Try to put it in the middle of a sentence. E.g. “Some people believe, however, that individuals must also take responsibility for the environment” or “I believe, on the other hand, that individuals do have a responsibility to…”)

Use numbers, symbols or abbreviations (1, 2, etc, &, +)

Use headings or subheadings

Underline words or phrases

Use one-sentence paragraphs 

Start every sentence with a linking device.

Step 4: Organise your essays into paragraphs

Use paragraphs to organise your essay into clear parts. Make sure each paragraph contains a clear and developed topic with a minimum of two sentences.

You can use the acronym “PEEL” when writing your essay:

Point – introduce your topic or topic sentence

Example – an example that supports your point

Explain – why this evidence supports your point

Link – transition to the next topic or paragraph

You must use enough paragraphs to clearly show a structured response. This will show that you can organise and present your thoughts and ideas logically.

Here are some ideas on how many paragraphs you could include in an essay:

Use paragraphs

Use linkers between and within your paragraphs

Leave a space between each paragraph (a line)

Use a paragraph for each topic

Use an introduction and a conclusion.

Don't

Use single-sentence paragraphs

Use very long paragraphs that cover a whole page (IELTS on paper)

Step 5: Use less common vocabulary and spell it correctly

You will see in the band descriptors that a band 8 writer skillfully uses uncommon lexical items. When we learn a language, we use common and uncommon terms. Common terms are words and phrases we use every day to refer to personal experience and daily habits. Uncommon terms are used when we discuss specific topics or when we use idiomatic language (phrasal verbs).

Words that are old-fashioned and not used in everyday speech should not be used. If you choose a synonym, the meaning must be the same and must not alter the idea being presented. For example, adolescent/teenager have close meaning and can be used interchangeably, however, toddler/baby have quite different meanings.

Collocation is also mentioned in band 8, and it is assumed that you know which words go together, and which words are suitable to use for different topics.

If you are discussing child crime, you could use the term ‘minor’ as this is a legal term used to describe children under the age of 18.

If you use phrasal verbs, make sure that you are using the correct preposition as it can change the meaning:

throw out/away = discard

throw up = vomit/get sick

Idioms (cultural language) should only be used if you understand them completely and if they fit the topic you are discussing.

Use precise word choices

Use language that we use in everyday speech

Use words that you understand

Use words and phrases that are related to the topic

Use collocation and phrasal verbs (words that go together naturally – environmental pollution | major issue | promising future)

Make spelling mistakes

Make typos

Mix up American and British spelling (You should use one or the other)

Use a word if you don’t understand it or cannot spell it.

Use imprecise words like ‘stuff/thing’

Use slang like ‘gonna’

Use old-fashioned language [the masses| denizens | myopic view | Hitherto]

Overuse synonyms, one is enough

Use idioms/clichés

Use contractions (can’t, doesn’t)

Step 6: Don’t use memorised language, phrases or examples

Don’t use any memorised language, phrases or examples throughout your essay. They are easy for examiners to spot and don’t demonstrate your ability to write fluently.

Overused phrases, idioms, proverbs and clichés should also be avoided, again, they are often used when speaking. These include phrases like:

The grass is always greener on the other side

Love is blind

Off the top of my head

Old is gold

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Additionally, the following terms should not be used when writing as they are vague and do not address a task appropriately. You should always be using clear language and make appropriate word choices that will express your ideas clearly.

Step 7: Use a variety of complex sentence structures

At band 8 it is expected that you can use a wide range of structures accurately to present your ideas and opinion. Show the examiner that you can use a wide range of structures and make sure your sentences are error-free.

It is important to use a mix of complex and simple sentences. But remember, your complex sentences should not be long and complicated.

Your punctuation needs to be accurate, using capitalisation, commas and full stops correctly.

The most common errors made can be found below:

Step 8: Checklist

Use the following checklist to make sure that your writing contains all the positive features at a band 8

If you follow these 8 steps, you will be well on your way to a band 8 in Writing Task 2.

Is IELTS writing hard?

IELTS writing is not so hard if you have a thorough understanding of the test format and are able to organise your thoughts into grammatically-correct, well-structured sentences. Obviously it requires a fair amount of practice. To make it easy, IDP has launched IELTS Prepare where you can access a range of preparation materials: from practice tests, sample answers, videos and articles, all the way to expert assessments, online courses, webinars and more.

IELTS writing for beginners

Join our free IDP IELTS webinars that are designed to give you a sense of what to expect during the IELTS Writing test and guide you towards reaching a high band score:

Improve your understanding of the writing test format and questions

Identify key points

Make your answers relevant

Organize your answers in a more coherent manner

Share this article

Should I take IELTS on computer or paper?

Get familiar with taking the IELTS on computer test

Maximize your IELTS preparation: How our English self-assessment tool can help

IELTS on computer: Advantages, sample questions and answers

Prepare for IELTS with these 6 easy steps

Your pocket guide to IELTS Academic Writing: Know it before you ace it

Grammar 101: Its vs. It's

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good introduction

IELTS General Training, Writing Task 1: How to write a letter

Grammar 101: Affect vs. Effect

Useful links
Who accepts IELTS?
News and articles
IELTS Masterclass
Your IELTS results
IELTS General Training
IELTS Academic
IELTS Online
IELTS by IDP app
Find sessions
Check IELTS results
Middle East
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Switzerland
Legal notices
Privacy policy
Cookie policy
Copyright 2024 IDP IELTS

IELTS Charlie

Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Essay Planning: 4 Step Approach

The most important skill when writing your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay writing is to plan your essay properly. Writing an IELTS essay without a plan is like setting out for a new destination without a map. You might get to your destination eventually, but it will take a long time because you will take lots of wrong turns on the way. IELTS essay planning is the key to getting a band score of 7 or above in the IELTS writing test.

You should plan for at least 5 minutes before you start to write.

But, you say, “I don’t have time!”

Good planning saves you time

IELTS essay planning means you can write faster because you already know what you’re going to write . Without a plan, you frequently have to stop and think about your ideas while you are writing.

Good planning leads to a more relevant answer

IELTS essay planning means your essay will answer the question properly. Your writing is less likely to include irrelevant ideas and examples because you thought about your ideas in advance. This means you will get a higher band score for Task Response.

Good planning leads to a better structure

IELTS essay planning means you can put your ideas, explanations and examples into a clear structure before you start to write. This means you will get a higher band score for Coherence .

Good planning leads to better language

IELTS essay planning means you do not need to think about your ideas while you write. This means you can think about vocabulary and grammar instead. Consequently, you will get a higher band score for Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy .

If you do not plan, you have to think about the task, the ideas, the structure, linking phrases, vocabulary, grammatical structures all at the same time . This is impossible to do well. So plan first!

Also, by the time you get to the writing part of the IELTS Test, your brain will be tired. The writing test comes after the listening and reading tests, so you will have been doing the test for an hour and 40 minutes already.

When you are tired, you are more likely to lose concentration and write irrelevant ideas, or make mistakes with grammar and spelling. So help your brain by giving it a plan to follow!

Here is my step-by-step guide to IELTS essay planning.

IELTS Essay Planning: The 4 Step Process

To help you to understand this guide, let’s look at an example question for IELTS writing task 2:

Step 1: Understand Your Task

In the first step of my 4 step planning process, you need to make sure you fully understand what you need to write about.

So analyse the question carefully (not quickly!) To help you analyse the question, you can think about these 3 questions:

What is the topic about?
What is the topic NOT about?
How should you respond to the topic?

Question 1: What Is The Topic About?

To help you identify the topic, look at some of the important content words ( keywords ) in the question.

Women and men are commonly seen as having different strengths and weaknesses . Is it right to exclude males or females from certain professions because of their gender?

The keywords here are “women and men”, “different strengths and weaknesses”, “exclude” and “certain professions”.

(Incidentally, the word “professions” is a bit unclear. The word can be used to mean professional jobs , such as doctors and lawyers, but it can also be used as a synonym for ‘jobs’ . I think it is safe to assume the second definition.)

So we can see from the keywords that the topic is about the different strengths and weaknesses of men and women working in certain professions.

What Is The Topic NOT About?

But the topic is NOT about the strengths and weaknesses of men and women in a general sense. So do not write about that!

How Should You Respond To The Topic?

In Task 2 questions, the topic statement is always followed by a question or a task. This tells you how to respond to the topic. In other words, what to write about.

In our example, this is the question:

Is it right to exclude males or females from certain professions because of their gender?

Make sure you understand the language used. Here, the phrase “ is it right..? ” means the same as “ do you agree..? ” The question could be worded:

Do you agree that males or females should be excluded from certain professions because of their gender?

And, of course, do not forget this part of the task:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

So your task is to state whether you agree or disagree with this idea, to explain your opinion , and to give examples to support your opinion .

When you plan your IELTS essay, always remember your task. If you write irrelevant ideas, explanations and examples, you will get a low band score for Task Response.

Remember, read the task carefully. Many test takers read the task quickly and misunderstand the task. This will destroy your chances of getting Band 7.

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Your position is your viewpoint, your point-of-view. So in the 2nd step of the planning process, you should ask yourself: “What do I REALLY think about this issue?” Try to think about your real opinion as this is often much easier to explain than a made-up opinion.

It’s important to decide your views BEFORE you start writing, because to get Band 7, your views needs to be clear THROUGHOUT your essay. Many candidates stuck at Band 6 don’t do this: they often change their views half way through the essay. This limits their band score for Task Response to Band 6.

Let’s look at the question again:

Women and men are commonly seen as having different strengths and weaknesses. Is it right to exclude males or females from certain professions because of their gender?

Personally, I think it’s wrong to exclude men and women from certain jobs because of their gender, but there might be a few exceptions to this. For example, men may be more suited than women to jobs involving heavy physical work.

So what do you think? Perhaps you agree with me, or perhaps you think that it’s ok to exclude people of a particular gender from certain jobs.

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

So you have your position. But why do you think this?

IELTS questions always tell you to “ Give reasons for your answer ”. In other words, WHY do you have this view? Why do you think this? So in the third step, you need to come up with reasons to support your view.

These are called supporting details . Supporting details can include:

explanations of what you mean
specific examples which illustrate what you mean

You MUST support your views to get Band 7. If you fail to support ANY of your ideas, your band score for Task Response may be limited to Band 6.

Explanations

Explanations can be used to explain your main ideas in more detail.

For example, if your main idea is that men and women should be excluded from certain jobs, your explanation might be: “Men and women have different strengths and weaknesses and are therefore suited to different jobs.”

But if your main idea is that men and women should NOT be excluded from certain jobs, your explanation might be: “Men and women are able to do most jobs equally well; and because opening up different professions to both men and women means they can bring different qualities to the same job.”

These sentences explain your thinking in more detail .

Examples can be used to provide specific details of what you mean. In effect, they paint a picture for your reader. Your reader can SEE what you mean.

Using our first argument from above:

Main Idea: “Men and women should be excluded from certain jobs.”

Explanation: “Men and women have different strengths and weaknesses and are therefore suited to different jobs.”

Example: “For example, men are usually physically stronger than women, so it may be more appropriate to employ them in manual labour such as construction work.”

So your reader can SEE construction workers who are men. The example has painted a picture in your reader’s mind.

Examples therefore illustrate your thinking .

Note: using invented research studies as examples is not a good idea. An invented “study by Harvard University in 2004” is NOT why you think something!

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

This is the easy bit!

In Step 4, you simply decide which paragraphs will contain which ideas.

So if you are writing an “advantages / disadvantages” essay, you should write the advantages in one paragraph, and the disadvantages in a separate paragraph.

Or if you are writing an “discuss both views and give your own opinion” essay, you could discuss the reasons for the first view in one paragraph, and the reasons for the other view in a separate paragraph, and your own view in another paragraph.

You MUST have a clear structure to your essay if you are aiming for Band 7.

So our essay structure might look like this:

To make your essay even better, you could add a third body paragraph, which acknowledges the other point-of-view:

By following these 4 steps, you should have some sensible ideas organised into a clear structure.

The reality is if you don’t plan your essays, you are going to struggle to reach Band 7. On the other hand, if you DO plan well, you have a great chance of getting Band 8 in Task Response and Coherence & Cohesion.

I recently helped a student who had taken the IELTS Test 6 times and was stuck at Band 6 for Writing. The problem was that he wasn’t really thinking about his position – he was just coming up with a position quickly, then he started to write, and then he struggled to think of reasons for his “position” while writing his essay. After I showed him how to plan essays carefully, he got Band 7.5 for writing!

Practise Planning

I recommend you practise planning essays. Find some Writing Task 2 questions – click on the link below for a page of essay questions – and simply practise planning them. You don’t need to write the essay, just do the plan. The more planning practice you do, the faster and better you will get at planning, so in the exam you can probably do a plan in around 5 minutes.

IELTS Writing Sample Questions: Task 2

I hope you found this article useful. Remember to share it by clicking on one of the share buttons below. Thank you for reading.

2 thoughts on “IELTS Essay Planning: 4 Step Approach”

hi….can you please guide how to createw a good band score essay for general ielts ….i kow the format but everytime i messed up….is it good to read as many essays online as we could or write down for practise….thanks

excellent. thank you

Privacy Overview

Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

Teach IELTS
Teaching resources

Lesson plans - Writing

Close up of someone typing on a keeyboard

Browse our collection of free lesson plans to help you familiarise students with IELTS and prepare them for their Writing test.

Academic Writing - Task One

Writing - task two.

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Preparation Courses

How to Plan an IELTS Essay

This post will show you how to make a great plan that will help you write a clear essay every time.

The Benefits of Planning

There are normally around 16 students in my IELTS classes. Every new class gets at least a 30-minute session with me on planning and how much it improves your essays. I normally give the students 20 minutes to plan a Task 2 essay which they finish for homework.

This is always interesting because normally, only 2 or 3 students actually follow my instructions and use the time to plan. The rest of them go straight into writing the essay. The result? The students who always took the time to plan (and I mean EVERY time) produce better essays.

Writing an IELTS essay without a plan is like putting IKEA furniture together without instructions. You will get halfway through it, get lost and frustrated, and you will lose control of your entire essay and end up with something like this:

A good plan should be like a map that guides you through the essay and ensures you get to where the examiner wants you to go. Every sentence should have a purpose; if you are writing for the sake of writing, then it won’t be a very good essay. Less is more in many cases, and a good plan ensures that every sentence has a purpose.

But Teacher, I Don’t Have Time!

This is the number one excuse for not planning.

What if I told you that the longer you plan, the less time it will take you to write the essay?

Let’s look at two examples: student A who doesn’t like to plan, and student B, who spends 10 minutes planning.

Student A does this: write-think-think-write-delete-think-write-write-delete-think-write.

Student B does this: think-write.

It is impossible for most people- including IELTS examiners and teachers- to sit down and write a good essay without thinking it through first. If you don’t plan, you have to think as you write and doing these two things, plus writing in a foreign language, thinking about grammar and vocabulary and thinking about writing skills all at the same time, results in a very confusing piece of writing. I also find that students who don’t plan have to restart their essays, and it is not uncommon to see students delete entire essays and start again.

How Does a Plan Save You Time?

You have 40 minutes to write a Task 2 essay. Even if you took 10 minutes to plan and 5 minutes to check your work at the end, you still have 25 minutes to write your essay.

The average 250-word essay is about 12 sentences long, so you have over 2 minutes to write one sentence. I think everyone is capable of doing that.

When you have a good plan, you know exactly what that sentence will be about and how it fits in with the rest of the essay. You don’t have to think of ideas or structure; write grammatically correct sentences and clearly say what you think about the question.

You don’t have to spend exactly 10 minutes planning and 5 minutes checking at the end. You could plan for 7-8 minutes and check for 2-3 minutes. Practice finding out what works best for you.

How To Plan

Planning has 4 stages:

Question Analysis
Idea Generation
Structure
Vocabulary

Question Analysis

This is probably the most important stage. The number one problem most IELTS students have is not answering the question properly. Did you know you can’t get above a band score 5.0 if you don’t address all parts of the question?

Let’s look at an example question:

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that the people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing . Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages ?

The keywords here are ‘ improved medical care ‘. This is our general topic. It is important to know this, not for what we should write about but about what we shouldn’t write about. A common mistake is to highlight the main keywords or main topic and write about this very generally. If you do this, you have not answered the question.

We, therefore, need to think about things more specifically and look for what I call micro-keywords. They are ‘ living longer ‘, and ‘ life expectancy is increasing ‘. We, therefore, need to write about these and how improved medical care has increased life expectancy. But we can’t just write a general essay about this; we must look at the instruction words next.

The instruction words are ‘ Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? ‘

In this example, we must decide which side (advantages or disadvantages) is stronger. If you choose advantages, you will have to say why these are much stronger than the advantages and why the disadvantages are not so strong. If you discuss the advantages, you will not answer the question correctly. We will also need to make our opinion about this very clear.

So, in summary, we must:

Find keywords (general topic)
Find micro-keywords (specific topic)
Find instruction words (how to answer the question)

Idea Generation

Many teachers and books about IELTS advise students to brainstorm (thinking of as many ideas as possible) at this stage. I don’t think that brainstorming is very effective because it leads to irrelevant ideas and wastes valuable time.

Instead of brainstorming, we need to answer the questions directly. If one of your friends asked you this question in a coffee shop, you would have no problem thinking of an answer, so do the same in the exam. It helps to frame it within ‘Why?’ questions.

So for the example above, we could ask ourselves two questions:

Why are the advantages of increased life expectancy strong? Why are disadvantages of increased life expectancy weak?

We can then think of one or two relevant ideas for each question.

The advantages of increased life expectancy are strong because most people think it is good if their friends and family don’t die too quickly and everyone is happier.

The disadvantages are that there is more demand for food and resources, but this is a weak argument because technology can solve these problems.

We now have two very relevant ideas, and we can now move on to our next stage.

Next, we need to put our ideas into a structure. This is very important because it helps us coherently organise our ideas, just like the examiner wants us to.

There are several different types of essays and each of them has a different structure .

For this essay, our structure will look like this:

Paragraph 1- Introduction 1- Paraphrase Sentence 2- Thesis Statement 3- Outline Statement Paragraph 2- Why advantages are strong 4- Topic Sentence 5- Explanation 6- Example Paragraph 3- Why disadvantage are weak 7- Topic Sentence 8- Explanation 9- Example Paragraph 4- Conclusion 1- Summary of main points

We can these fill in our ideas:

Paragraph 1- Introduction Sentence 1- Paraphrase Sentence Sentence 2- These Statement – advantages outweigh disadvantages Sentence 3- Outline Statement – Advantages- happiness Disadvantages- technology Paragraph 2- Why advantages are strong Sentence 4- Topic Sentence – happiness Sentence 5- Explanation – death causes unhappiness and longer lives lead to happiness Sentence 6- Example – Okinawa and Sardinia Paragraph 3- Why disadvantage are weak Sentence 7- Topic Sentence – technology Sentence 8- Explanation – technology can solve any of the drawbacks Sentence 9- Example – GM crops and renewable energy Paragraph 4- Conclusion Sentence 1- Summary of main points

Now we have all our ideas, and we can think of some vocabulary.

Another common problem students have is repeating the same words, especially ones from the question, repeatedly. This lowers our mark for vocabulary because it shows that we can’t think of synonyms. A solution to this problem is to identify words in the question that we might need to use more than once in the question.

Let’s look at the question again:

We can think of the following synonyms:

Improved medical care- enhanced medical treatment

Living longer- improved longevity

Life expectancy is increasing- the length of time people live is rising

Advantages- benefits

Disadvantages- drawbacks

What It Looks Like On Paper?

That might seem like a lot to do in 5- 10 mins, so here is what it looks like on paper.

The more you plan, the better and more quickly you will write, and it will lead to every single sentence in your essay having a purpose, which is exactly what the examiner wants.

Like everything on this website, you need to take the advice and practice using it. Next time you practise a Task 2 essay, try using my advice, and I guarantee your writing will improve.

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

2024 IELTS General Writing Task 1 (Letter) With Answers

Explain why you think reducing work hours is a good idea.
Suggest how the work hours could be reduced.
Describe how these changes could benefit the company.
give your feedback for the last festival
tell him/her what you can do for the new festival
suggestions about the new festival.
Congratulate them on the arrival of the baby
Describe the gift you have chosen for the baby
Suggest arrangements for your visit to deliver the gift.
Say what you liked about their visit
Explain why you think the coat belongs to one of their team members
Tell them how you plan to return it.
Say why you joined the club
Explain about the problems you are experiencing
Suggest solutions to fix them.
explain what the problem is
suggest how it can be fixed
say what you would like the landlord to do about it.
introduce yourself
describe the training course and how it would benefit your work
explain why you need financial assistance.
Include a brief description of your business
Explain what you would like to have on the website
Provide some ideas on the use of images on the website.
Say how you know about that city or town
Explain what information was wrong
Suggest how the editor could fix this error.
describe the device
please explain why you bought it
say whether or not your friend should buy it and why.
let your friend know why you can't go to the concert;
suggest another activity you can do together;
explain why you think your friend would enjoy this activity.
explain what you find valuable about the building.
Suggest what improvements could be made to the building.
Describe how retaining the building could benefit the community as a whole.
How to get the keys to your flat
How to operate the equipment in the flat and
Suggest a few places of interest to visit
explain why you need the job;
describe your skills and qualifications;
say what days you are available.
describe the luggage you found;
explain where you found it;
suggest how the owner could get it back.
inform him/her about the work that needs to be done at the office;
explain what he/she is supposed to do on the first day;
suggest what he/she should bring to work.
give a reason why you chose this magazine;
explain what you like and dislike about it;
say what improvement you hope to see in the future.
recommend someone to act as an interpreter;
explain why the person is qualified for that role;
say how the person can be contacted.
Why you have chosen him to write the reference letter
What kind of job you are applying for
Why you think you are suitable for this job
tell him/her about your trip;
say why you were happy to see him/her;
suggest an arrangement for you to meet.
suggest a suitable date and time for the party
recommend a venue
propose the food and entertainment options that should be available.
describe the problem the new employee has caused
explain how other colleagues feel about the new employee's conduct
say how you expect the manager to address the situation.
say why the building is important
suggest solutions to preserve the building
explain the benefits of keeping the building to the city and its residents.
say that you liked his/her photos of your family
ask him/her to be your photographer at a special family event
give him/her the details of the event.
say how well you know your friend
describe the qualifications and experience that your friend has
explain why your friend would be suitable for this job.
describe the city you moved to;
tell him/her about your new job;
invite him/her to visit you.
tell them who you are and where you live;
explain the nature of your complaint;
say what you would like them to do about it.
describe who the person is and how you know them;
describe their contributions to the community;
explain why you think they deserve the reward.
describe how this situation affects you;
explain what steps you have taken to address the problem;
ask the landlord to take action to resolve the issue.
provide the details of your stay;
describe the item you left behind;
tell the hotel manager how to return it to you.
describe the problem;
explain how it affects you;
say what you will do if this matter is not resolved.
give him/her the job description;
explain why he/she should take the job;
say what he/she should do to get the job.
describe the problems;
explain what benefits a car park would bring to the company;
suggest a solution for the car park problem.
tell them about the problem;
describe how it has affected you;
explain why it should be fixed soon.
describe the name of the place and the incorrect information;
provide the correct information;
explain why it is important to correct this mistake.
describe what happened and your injury;
explain what the result of the accident was;
suggest a way to avoid similar accidents in the future.
tell them some feedback about the event;
explain what you particularly enjoyed;
give some suggestions for improvement.
describe what you lost and why it was important to you
how the employee helped you find it
and explain how you felt after recovering it.
provide the details of your shipment
describe the damage
say what action you want the company to take.
say how you found out about the plans
explain what problems your neighborhood will face
suggest some possible solutions to those problems.

Learn structure and more questions by topics of IELTS general writing :

IELTS general writing samples :

Questions of other IELTS General test sections :

Trending Now
Foundational Courses
Data Science
Practice Problem
Machine Learning
System Design
DevOps Tutorial
Email Writing - Format and Samples
English Essay Writing Tips, Examples, Format
Letter to Principal, Format And Samples
Analytical Writing Section in GRE General
12 Best ChatGPT Prompts for Academic Writing Assistance in 2024
Writing data from a Python List to CSV row-wise
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 9 Social Science Set 2 with Solutions
A Guide to Writing an Essay for Job Interviews
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 History Set 2 with Solutions 2023-24
How to prepare for IELTS?
5 Content Writing Tools to Improve your Content Writing Skills
IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning Question Paper 2020
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 Economics (2023-24) Set 1 with Solutions
IBPS Clerk Prelims Reasoning Question Paper 2021
IBPS Clerk Prelims English Question Paper 2019
IBPS Clerk Prelims English Question Paper 2021
Fill In The Blanks - Rules, Tips and Tricks with Examples
CBSE Sample Papers Class 11 History (2023-24) Set-1 with Solution
UPSC Prelims 2018 General Studies Paper I With Detailed Solutions

IELTS Writing Task 2: Format, Sample, Tips

The IELTS Writing Task 2: The second portion of the writing test, known as IELTS Writing Task 2, asks you to produce an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. Your essay should be written in a formal tone, be at least 250 words long, and take no more than 40 minutes to finish.

Table of Content

IELTS Writing Task 2- Format

1. task question, 2. word limit, 4. response structure, 5. evaluation criteria, difference between ielts writing task 2- academic vs general, understanding the evaluation criteria, common ielts writing task 2 topics, band descriptors ielts writing task 2, ielts essay types for writing task 2, ielts writing task 2 preparation tips, ielts writing task 2 sample, ielts writing task 2- faqs, what are indigenous cultures and languages, why is it important to protect indigenous cultures and languages, what are some challenges in protecting indigenous cultures and languages, what role can governments play in protecting indigenous cultures and languages, are there any potential drawbacks to prioritizing the protection of indigenous cultures and languages.

You will be presented with a topic or statement related to a contemporary issue or problem.
The task question may ask you to discuss a particular problem, present a solution, evaluate a situation, or provide your opinion on a given topic.
You are expected to write at least 250 words for the IELTS Writing Task 2.
It is advisable to write within the range of 250300 words, as responses shorter than 250 words are penalized, and longer responses do not necessarily receive higher scores.
3. Time Allotment:
You have 40 minutes to complete the IELTS Writing Task 2.
Your response should be structured as an essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
The introduction should provide an overview of the topic and outline the main points you will discuss.
The body paragraphs should develop your ideas and arguments, with one main idea per paragraph supported by relevant examples or evidence.
The conclusion should summarize your main points and provide a final perspective on the topic.
Your response will be evaluated based on four criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource (vocabulary), and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
You should aim to address all parts of the task question, present a clear and coherent argument, use a wide range of vocabulary accurately, and demonstrate a good command of grammar and sentence structures.

Must Read: IELTS Academic vs General Tests – What’s the Difference?

The IELTS Writing Task 2 covers a wide range of topics related to contemporary issues and problems. Here are some common topics that frequently appear in the IELTS Writing Task 2:

1. Education:

The role of technology in education
The importance of extracurricular activities
The advantages and disadvantages of single gender schools

2. Environment:

Climate change and its impacts
Sustainable development and environmental conservation
The use of renewable energy sources
The impact of lifestyle choices on health
The role of government in promoting public health
The advantages and disadvantages of alternative medicine

4. Society and Culture:

The effects of globalization on local cultures
The impact of social media on human interactions
The role of religion in modern society

5. Technology:

The advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence
The impact of technology on employment and job markets
The role of technology in communication and information sharing

6. Urbanization and Transportation:

The challenges of urban growth and city planning
The benefits and drawbacks of public transportation
The impact of transportation on the environment

7. Crime and Justice:

The causes and prevention of crime
The effectiveness of different types of punishment
The role of the criminal justice system in society

8. Economics and Business:

The impact of globalization on international trade
The role of advertising in influencing consumer behavior
The advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing

9. Government and Politics:

The importance of freedom of speech and press
The role of government in regulating the economy
The impact of immigration on societies

10. Arts and Culture:

The importance of preserving cultural heritage
The role of art in society
The impact of censorship on artistic expression

In the IELTS Writing Task 2, candidates are required to write an essay in response to a prompt or question. There are several common types of essays that may appear in Task 2:

1. Argumentative/Opinion Essays: These essays require candidates to express their opinion on a given topic and support it with reasons and examples. They often involve discussing both sides of an issue and presenting a clear argument in favor of one viewpoint.

2. Discussion/Two-sided Essays: Similar to argumentative essays, discussion essays require candidates to discuss both sides of an issue before expressing their opinion or preference. They need to provide balanced arguments and consider opposing viewpoints.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages Essays : In these essays, candidates need to discuss the pros and cons of a particular issue, situation, or trend. They should provide examples to illustrate each point and offer a balanced analysis.

4. Problem-Solution Essays: These essays involve identifying a problem or issue, discussing its causes and effects, and proposing possible solutions or measures to address it. Candidates need to present logical arguments and support their solutions with evidence.

5. Cause and Effect Essays: Cause and effect essays focus on analyzing the reasons behind a specific phenomenon or event and its subsequent effects. Candidates should clearly outline the causal relationships and provide relevant examples.

6. Comparison/Contrast Essays: These essays require candidates to compare and contrast two or more ideas, concepts, or approaches. They should highlight similarities and differences and draw conclusions based on their analysis.

7. Process Essays: Process essays explain a sequence of steps or actions involved in a particular process, such as how to do something or how something works. Candidates need to provide clear explanations and use appropriate transition words to guide the reader through each step.

8. Agree/Disagree Essays: In these essays, candidates are given a statement or opinion, and they need to express whether they agree or disagree with it. They should support their stance with reasons and examples.

IELTS Writing Task 2 preparation tips to help you improve your performance:

1. Understand the Task Question

Read the task question carefully and identify the key components, such as the topic, the instructions (e.g., discuss, evaluate, give your opinion), and any specific aspects to be addressed.
Underline or highlight the essential elements to ensure you address all parts of the question.

2. Plan Your Essay

Spend a few minutes planning your essay before you start writing.
Brainstorm ideas and organize them into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Develop a clear thesis statement and main points to guide your essay.

3. Manage Your Time

Allocate your time wisely, allowing enough time for planning, writing, and reviewing.
Aim to spend around 510 minutes planning, 2530 minutes writing, and 5 minutes reviewing and making corrections.

4. Use Appropriate Structure and Paragraphing

Follow a standard essay structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea and include supporting details, examples, or evidence.
Use clear topic sentences and logical transitions between paragraphs.

5. Develop Your Ideas

Provide relevant and welldeveloped ideas to support your main points.
Use examples, personal experiences, facts, or hypothetical situations to illustrate your arguments.
Show critical thinking by analyzing different perspectives and addressing counterarguments.

6. Use Appropriate Language and Vocabulary

Use a range of appropriate vocabulary related to the topic.
Vary your sentence structures and avoid repetition.
Demonstrate your ability to use idiomatic expressions and collocations accurately.

7. Pay Attention to Grammar and Accuracy

Review and proofread your essay for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation issues.
Ensure subjectverb agreement, correct tense usage, and appropriate word forms.
Avoid overly complex sentences that may increase the risk of errors.

8. Practice with Sample Questions

Familiarize yourself with different types of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions by practicing with sample prompts.
Set a timer and practice writing complete essays under timed conditions.
Seek feedback from experienced IELTS teachers or online resources to identify areas for improvement.

9. Learn from Model Answers

Study highscoring model answers to understand the expected level of writing and the organization of ideas.
Analyze the structure, language use, and development of arguments in these model answers.
Incorporate effective strategies and techniques into your own writing practice.

10. Stay UptoDate with Current Affairs

Stay informed about current events, global issues, and debates related to various topics.
Read reputable news sources, magazines, or online articles to broaden your knowledge and enhance your ability to discuss contemporary topics.

Here is a practice IELTS Writing Task 2 topic for you: Topic: Some people believe that governments should make more efforts to protect indigenous cultures and languages from disappearing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words discussing both viewpoints and giving your opinion.

Make a plan before you start writing. Outline your introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.
The introduction should paraphrase the topic and outline what will be discussed.
Discuss both sides of the argument in the body paragraphs. One paragraph arguing for protecting indigenous cultures/languages, one paragraph arguing against or giving the opposite view.
Use examples, data or personal experiences to support your arguments.
The conclusion should summarize your main points and give a clear opinion.
Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures. Avoid repetition.
Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

In conclusion, while protecting indigenous cultures and languages is undoubtedly important for preserving human diversity and heritage, it should be balanced with practical considerations and the interests of the wider community. A nuanced approach that promotes understanding and appreciation while accommodating evolving societal needs is ideal.

Also Read: IELTS Full Form: Check Its Significance IELTS Average Score: Across Worldwide and India IELTS Minimum Score for Top Universities in 2024 IELTS Exam Pattern 2024: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types

Indigenous cultures and languages refer to the traditional practices, belief systems, and modes of expression of ethnic groups native to a particular region or country.

Protecting indigenous cultures and languages helps preserve unique identities, traditional knowledge, and cultural diversity, which are valuable aspects of human heritage and can contribute to our understanding of history, societies, and the environment.

Challenges include globalization, urbanization, lack of resources, and a shift towards more dominant cultures and languages, which can lead to the erosion of indigenous practices and languages over time.

Governments can implement policies to support the use and teaching of indigenous languages, provide funding for cultural preservation efforts, and promote awareness and appreciation of indigenous cultures through education and media.

Potential drawbacks include the allocation of limited resources towards this effort at the expense of other priorities, the potential for cultural stagnation or resistance to cultural evolution, and the risk of creating divisions or conflicts within diverse societies.

Please Login to comment...

Improve your Coding Skills with Practice

What kind of Experience do you want to share?

Welcome Guest!

IELTS Listening
IELTS Reading
IELTS Writing
IELTS Writing Task 1
IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 1
IELTS Speaking Part 2
IELTS Speaking Part 3
IELTS Practice Tests
IELTS Listening Practice Tests
IELTS Reading Practice Tests
IELTS Writing Practice Tests
IELTS Speaking Practice Tests
All Courses
IELTS Online Classes
OET Online Classes
PTE Online Classes
CELPIP Online Classes
Free Live Classes
Australia PR
Germany Job Seeker Visa
Austria Job Seeker Visa
Sweden Job Seeker Visa
Study Abroad
Student Testimonials
Our Trainers
IELTS Webinar
Immigration Webinar

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Samples

Updated On Feb 09, 2024

Share on Whatsapp

Share on Email

Share on Linkedin

Effective IELTS Essay Connectors for Writing Task 2 & Task 1

Writing task 1 of the IELTS General Writing test is always letter writing. In Task 1, you will be given a situation, and based on the situation, you will be asked to write a formal, semi-formal, or informal letter. It is advisable to spend 20 minutes on Writing task 1, which requires you to write at least 150 words.

Sample letters for each type of letter asked in the exam is given below for reference.

Semi-Formal Letter Sample:

Your workplace does not have a parking area for cars, and it is causing some problems. Write a letter to your manager and include the following:

– Describe the problems it has caused.

– Explain what benefits a parking area would bring to the company.

– Suggest a solution.

Sample Answer:

Dear Mr. Johny,

I’m writing this letter to express my concern about the parking space for cars in our office. You are aware that we have recently relocated and do not have parking facilities in this building.

Let me explain the issue in detail. As we have relocated our organization to a new location, we are facing some problems with parking. Due to an increase in workforce, the number of vehicles has also increased. As a result, we are facing problems with parking. The vehicle owners have to park their vehicles on roadsides and whatever vacant space available near the office building.

Therefore, I believe that management should address the aforementioned issue to avoid chaos in front of the building and unauthorized parking issues. Having our own parking space will smoothen the parking process and save the time of employees.

I suggest that we rent a nearby vacant space for parking and appoint a guard to assist vehicle owners and stop any confusion. Request you to take the necessary actions at the earliest.

Yours truly,

A semi-formal letter is written to someone whom you only know professionally

Points covered in the sample answer:

Started with a semi-formal opening salutation (Dear Mr. Johny)
The content of the letter is divided into 3 to 4 paragraphs, with the proper structure.
The purpose of the letter is addressed at the beginning of the letter.
Elaborated on the issue and provided a solution to the problem.
The letter is closed with the right salutation (Yours truly)
Taken care of word limit (169 words)

Formal Letter Sample:

You made a reservation at a hotel for you and your colleagues to stay during a business trip, but you need to make some changes to your booking. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter

– Give details of your booking

– Explain what changes you need to make

– Ask for some special arrangements to be made for your business meetings.

Dear Sir/Ma’am

I am Kanika Gupta, and I booked four deluxe rooms in your hotel for six days in August. I am writing this letter to request that you change our booking dates and the number of rooms for the period.

I was supposed to stay in the hotel along with three colleagues, from 6th August till 11th August 2021. However, due to the change in meeting dates, we would not be able to check in on the given dates. Hence, I am requesting you to kindly change our arrival dates to 23rd August and departure dates to 28th August. Now that the meeting is postponed, more colleagues will possibly be joining us for the meeting. Therefore, I also request you to increase the number of rooms from three to five.

Also, now that the meeting is postponed, we would require a new meeting venue. I would like to request arrangements for our business meeting for two days for 15 employees. That would be 24th and 25th August respectively.

I regret the inconvenience caused to you due to the above changes.

I look forward to a positive response from your end.

Yours sincerely,

Kanika Gupta

A formal letter is for an official purpose and written to someone whom you do not know personally.

Started with a formal opening salutation (Dear Sir/Ma’am)
The content of the letter is divided into 3 to 4 paragraphs, with proper structure.
The letter is closed with the right salutation (Yours sincerely)
Taken care of word limit (196 words)

Informal Letter Sample:

Write a letter to your friend who lives in a different country about your plan to work overseas. In your letter say

– What jobs do you plan to do?

– Why do you want to work overseas?

– Ask for some information related to jobs, such as salary, working hours and so on.

Sample answer:

How are you? I hope you are enjoying your life in Canada. I have some great news for you. I have recently appeared for a language test, and I am on cloud nine as I passed with flying colors, and now I am planning to fly.

Actually, it’s my long-held aspiration to get a well-paid job in a country like Canada. Since I am a marketer, I can handle any work in the office and hope to get a decent marketing manager position. As you know, I have experience in multiple fields like sales, counseling, and production. So I hope I will not struggle to seek employment overseas.

My family encouraged me to migrate to Canada and expand my career there. I have to take this as a challenge because I have never lived away from home.

Out of all my friends and family, only you work in Canada. I guess you might be able to help discover job opportunities there. Please share some options which are applicable for my qualification and skills. Do tell me about the pay scale and details about the working conditions and working time in Canada.

Hope to meet soon and have a great time together.

Warm Regards

An informal letter is for personal purpose and written to someone whom you only know personally

Started with an informal opening salutation (Dear Payal)
Elaborated on the issue and provided a solution to the issue.
The letter is closed with the right salutation (Warm Regards)
Taken care of word limit (207 words)

IELTS General Writing task 1 tips to improve your letter writing skills

Take 20 minutes to complete the letter-writing task. Spend 2-3 minutes preparing the format and content of the letter.
Leave 2-3 minutes, in the end, to double-check the letter for spelling and grammar errors.
Try to only spend 20 minutes on the IELTS Writing task, as Writing task 2 consists of more weightage, and you need to write at least 250 words.
In Writing task 1, you must write at least 150 words but aim to write 160 to 180 words.
It is not necessary to have an address on the letter.
Pay careful attention to who you’re writing to and the nature of your relationship with them. This will determine the writing tone and style.
It is critically important to organise your letter around the three points mentioned in the question. If you fail to include any of the three points, your band score will be affected.
Always take care of the opening and closing salutations.

Also check :

Semi-Formal

Practice IELTS General Writing Task 1

Band 9 IELTS Vocabulary for Academic Writing Task 1 + PDF

Ruben Smith

Ruben is a specialist and enthusiast in Linguistics. He speaks French, Spanish and German apart from English. He is a pronunciation expert and has even co-authored some books on the same. In the course of his research, he found the English language gap in non-native speakers. That’s when he decided to train students in English. He joined IELTSMaterial a few years ago and has written over 100+ articles. His articles are written in simple language but with strong attention to detail. His ideas are original and easy to understand. He has also researched on many tips that could help students score a band 9 with ease. These tips can be found across the website.

Explore other Writing Articles

Advice about Learning a New Sport – IELTS Writing Task 1 (Informal Letter)

Kasturika Samanta

Ceramic Pots Process – IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Diagram

Akanksha Tripathi

Crime Novels and TV Crime Dramas are Becoming Popular – IELTS Writing Task 2

Raajdeep Saha

Post your Comments

Our Offices

Gurgaon city scape, gurgaon bptp.

Step 1 of 3

Great going .

Get a free session from trainer

Have you taken test before?

Please select any option

Get free eBook to excel in test

Please enter Email ID

Get support from an Band 9 trainer

Please enter phone number

Already Registered?

Select a date

Please select a date

Select a time (IST Time Zone)

Please select a time

Mark Your Calendar: Free Session with Expert on

Which exam are you preparing?

Great Going!

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter samples, phrases and tips.

Home » IELTS General Task 1 » IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter samples, phrases and tips.

The general writing task 1 exam evaluates the test taker’s writing skills in responding to a complaint, requesting information or explaining a certain situation in a letter.

You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this section and you should write at least 150 words. IELTS Task 1 forms 33% of your total writing mark.

IELTS training writing task 1

IELTS general writing task 1 sample letters to make a complaint

General writing task 1 sample letters to make an application

IELTS general writing task 1 sample letters to invite

Sample letters to advise

IELTS sample letters to apologise

Sample letters to make a request

General task 1 informal letter samples

Task 1 sample letter to inform

Latest 2018- March 2020 general task 1 questions

VIDEO: IELTS Band 9 Sample General Task 1 and Vocabulary

IELTS writing sample task 1 letters ebook

IELTS Letter Writing General Task 1 – training and overview

Letter writing in English consists of standard phrases and structures, most of which are outlined below in this tutorial.

Also, you can use the question as a ready-made plan to follow for your writing, you can write a few sentences for each bullet point in the question, and you have a well-structured answer covering the task response requirement.

Below we have a large list of questions, IELTS letter samples and phrases to help you with your online IELTS preparation . For more help with IELTS writing, take a look at our range of writing tasks .

IELTS Writing General Task 1: Sample letters to make a complaint

Example Letter: A formal complaint You have eaten at a restaurant and it was such a terrible experience that you have decided to inform the manager by letter of what happened and that you want your money back. Things to include: – Facts. You need to be concise but explain what happened. – Polite. No one responds to insults. – Outline what you wish from this. What do you want to happen? – Firmness. You want to be taken seriously.
Example Letter: Your next-door neighbour owns a small dog that barks throughout the day and the night. Write a letter to your neighbour requesting that something be done about the dog. Include in your letter: – Your reason for writing – What you would like to happen – A nice, respectful style
Example Letter: You ordered an item from an online store and it has arrived damaged. Write a letter to the retailer to complain. In the letter: – Explain why you are unhappy – Request a refund – Make arrangements to return the damaged item
Example Letter: Your internet connection has been slow and intermittent. Write a letter to your internet service provider to complain. In the letter: – Describe the problem and why you are unhappy – Arrange for an engineer to visit your home – Request a reduction in your bill
A reporter complained about a new TV program that you like. Write a letter to the newspaper editor. – Describe your point of view. – Say what you like about the show and why. – Ask the newspaper to take some action.

Useful general Task 1 Phrases to make a complaint

Ielts letter samples for task 1: to make an application.

IELTS writing sample: A job application Cover letter You are applying for a job. As well as attaching a CV, you need to write a cover letter explaining your reasons for choosing this particular job at this particular company, and why you would be a good hire. Things to include are: – Possible qualifications or reasons for you to be hired – Your energy and enthusiasm for the job – Your past experience in a similar position.
IELTS writing sample: The school library is seeking applicants for a job over summer break. Write a letter to the library’s manager, in your letter include: – A brief introduction of yourself – Your experience and relevant skills – Why you want the job
You would like to join the local orchestra Write a letter of application to the orchestra. In the letter: – Introduce yourself and your instrument of choice – Explain how your credentials make you a good candidate – Express your enthusiasm for music
IELTS writing sample: Your children go to a local school that requires volunteers to accompany school science trips. Write a letter to the school to apply to be a volunteer. In the letter: – Introduce yourself and give details of your children who attend the school – Explain why you are interested in the position – Talk about any relevant experience that you have with children

IELTS Task 1 formal vocabulary to make an application

Ielts general letter writing samples: how to write an invitation.

General writing task 1 sample: Your friends recently moved to a new city. You will also be moving to the same city. Write a letter to your friends and include: – Ask where to find a place to live – Tell them what type of place you’re looking for – Share some fun things you would like to do when you get there

IELTS general writing task 1 sample: You will be graduating from university and would like to invite your family to the ceremony. Write a letter of invitation to your parents. In the letter: – Explain that you have completed your studies – Give details of the event, including time, date and dress code – Let them know how many tickets they have and who they are for

IELTS general writing task 1 sample: You have won a holiday to Hawaii with one extra ticket. Write a letter to someone to invite them along with you. In the letter: – Explain what has happened and that you would like them to come – Give details of when the trip will take place – Inform the person of the things they will need for the trip

IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary to invite or reply to an invite

Ielts general letter writing samples: answers to advise.

Writing task 1 sample letter: Write a letter to your favourite restaurant. Include the following: · Your reason for writing · What you like about the restaurant · Suggestions for improvement
Writing task 1 sample letter : Write a letter to the newspaper editor about an experience you had at a restaurant. The experience can be good or bad. Describe your experience in detail and state whether or not you recommend others to visit the restaurant.
Writing task 1 sample letter : A friend is considering buying a house nearby, but you have decided to leave the area due to a rise in crime. Write a letter to your friend advising them not to move into the neighbourhood. In your letter: – Recommend that your friend not go ahead with the purchase – Give the reasons behind your decision to leave – Suggest possible alternative areas that you know

IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary to advise

Ielts sample letters / answers to apologise.

Writing task 1 sample letter to apologise: IELTS sample: A formal apology and explanation You have received a letter from your university of Albion demanding a reason for your absence from an exam. You were ill that day but failed to submit the evidence. Write a letter to the Examinations Committee explaining your situation. You should include: – Apologies for the situation – Identification for yourself (Name, student number, case number) – An explanation of what had happened and any possible evidence you may have – Possible resolutions to consider.
Writing task 1 sample Letter to apologise: You agreed to take a particular job over the summer, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you can no longer take the position. Write a letter including: – Explaining your situation – An apology – Express that you would be interested in the position next summer
Writing task 1 sample letter to apologise: You recently applied for two separate jobs. Both have chosen to hire you, but you must write a letter to one of them explaining why you are unable to take the position. Include in your letter: – An apology – An explanation of your situation
Writing task 1 sample letter to apologise: You have not seen a close friend for a very long time. You also still have a few of your friend’s belongings that were left at your house the last time she visited. In your letter include: – Why you are writing – What you’ve been doing since you last spoke together – Apologize for still having the items and ask how you can return them

General letter writing task 1 GT vocabulary to apologise

Writing task 1 sample letters: answers to make a request.

IELTS writing task 1 sample: A new neighbour has moved in next door and has taken your main rubbish bin. Write a letter to your new neighbour requesting that they return the item. In the letter: – Explain that new bins must be sourced from the local council – Request that the person returns your bin immediately – Inform the person of what further actions you will take should they not return your bin
IELTS writing task 1 sample: You would like to work in a different city to be closer to your family. Write a letter to your employer to request a transfer to another office. In the letter: – Explain why you would like to move – Request that your employer place you in a specific city – Request that it be completed by a certain date
IELTS writing task 1 sample:: You live near a record shop that sells music, movies, and books. Write a letter to the shop asking if they have a few different items =you are looking for. – Ask what the prices are and if they can be orders – Ask when they would arrive and if you can have them held in advance.
IELTS writing task 1 sample: You recently used a taxi and left some important documents there. Write a letter to the taxi manager and say: – Describe what you left and where it happened. – Why are these papers important? – What would you like the manager to do about it?

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Vocabulary to make a request

General task 1 informal letter samples and answers.

IELTS informal letter sample : Your sibling has sent you a letter asking for an update on your life. Write a letter to your sibling. In your letter: – Describe what you did for your last birthday – Ask for photos of your sibling’s last holiday – Talk about something you are looking forward to
IELTS informal letter sample: Your best friend is moving back to your city after being o verseas for five years. Write a letter to convince your friend to move in with you. In the letter: – Explain how much you have missed your friend – Describe how you feel about your friend’s return – Give reasons that you and your friend should share a home
IELTS informal letter sample: Write a letter to a pen pal. This can be your first letter or a letter you’re writing after knowing your pen pal for a long time. Include details you would normally include when writing to a pen pal in this situation.

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Vocabulary for informal letters

General writing task 1 sample answer to inform.

A letter to inform is used whenever the sender (you) would like to inform the receiver of some information. The information you wish to convey could be related to just about anything. Below is a list of topics or concepts your letter may cover:

Inform about a death/ engagement/ wedding/ special life event
Inform about an acceptance or rejection of application
Inform about the receipt of a document or package
Inform about a current event

The purpose of an “inform” letter is to make sure that whatever important news the receiver has to get is clear and articulate. You want to ensure that your letter has a structure. This would include your introduction, your body and ultimately your conclusion.

The introduction- here you want to set up the conversation of the letter. This can include a greeting, an enquiry about how the receiver is doing and then depending on how well you know the receiver a brief introduction of who you are.

Example: Letter to inform about an upcoming wedding

Sample introduction:

This is Jill, we met at the art exhibition last year. I hope this email finds you well.

The body – Once the introduction is complete you need to write the reason for your “inform letter”.

Sample Body:

Jack and I engaged! I would love it so very much if you could make it to our wedding. You played a huge role in us getting together and it only makes sense that you are part of the big day.

The conclusion – this section is where you close your letter. You can make any final requests or list any final requirements

Sample conclusion:

By the way , I lost all my contacts as my phone was stolen. This is my new number 123 456 789. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Your friend, Jill

For more help with your IELTS preparation , take a look at our tutorials:

How to Plan and Write IELTS Task 1 Informal Letters In 20 Minutes
IELTS Sample Letters – Band 9
IELTS task 2
IELTS academic task 1
IELTS general task 1 recent questions
IELTS sample general task 1 letter
Take a look a the most recent IELTS general task 1 questions
All you need to know about the IELTS writing exam

Another component for your IELTS writing success is lexical resource, here is an in-depth tutorial to help you boost your essays.

To contact Ben and the team you can send an email after signing up .

Take a look at our free IELTS sample task 1 GT letters ebook(PDF)

Frequently asked questions (faqs), how can i practice ielts letter writing.

First, look at examples. Then make a list of different types of letters (informal and formal) with appropriate vocabulary for each one. Try to memorize fixed expressions such as, I would really appreciate your help with this.

Is there letter writing in IELTS academic?

No, letter writing (often an email) is only in the IELTS General exam so no need to practice that if you are doing IELTS Academic. In IELTS General, it takes the place of the diagram, map or process in task 1.

What is a formal letter in IELTS?

This is a letter in which you might make a complaint or write an application (for a job or college place). You could also be giving advice, making a request or apologizing for something.

How can I get an 8 in IELTS writing general?

You’ll need to make sure your letter and essay answers are formal, fully address the task and contain hardly any grammar or word choice errors. There’s more information about getting band 8 here.

How do you write a general writing Task 1?

Make sure you practice different letter types – informal and formal and be clear about the purpose of your letter (an apology, responding to an invitation, asking for information). Use the correct phrases and set your letter out following a model.

How do I get my IELTS writing checked online?

If you are serious about improving, IELTS writing essay correction can give you feedback on your essays in 24h, getting your work corrected will help you identify errors (grammatical range and accuracy) and improve much faster. Raza jumped from 6.5 to 7.5 using this exact course

How long will this online course take?

If you have your IELTS test coming up soon, you can get complete everything, including the 9 essay corrections (both Task 1 & Task 2) included, within 10 days. However, we advise most students to allow a month so that they can properly review their IELTS essay corrections so as to get the most from them.

What is the success rate of the IELTS online course?

We have helped lots of students from around the world achieve their desired IELTS scores. Read our success stories here .

Your IELTS success story starts with the right tools, online converter helps to convert documents into various form. Try now!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

IMAGES

9 ways to improve your IELTS Writing Task 2 (2023)
3 IELTS Essay Structures that strengthen your argument
IELTS Essay Planning: 4 Step Approach
Ielts general writing essay samples with answers
IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide
How To Write An Ielts Essay

VIDEO

IELTS General Writing Task 1 & 2
IELTS Writing
IELTS General 15 Test 2 Writing Task 2
IELTS General Writing Task 1
IELTS General 15 Test 3 Writing Task 2
IELTS writing task 2 General and Academic: IELTS essay types

COMMENTS

IELTS essay plan for writing task 2 (7 steps)
Here is a very brief overview of what we teach in our online ielts course. 1. First classify the question. 2. Brainstorm ideas around the idea and clarify your position for each paragraph. 3. Check the ideas correspond to the question (important for task response). 4. Develop the ideas further.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Planning Tips
When you get to writing task 2, you will be tired. You will already have done the listening test, reading test and writing task 1. This means your concentration and energy levels will be low. It is easy to make a mistake with the essay question, lose focus in your writing and present disorganised ideas. This is another reason why planning is so ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models
These free tips, model essays, lessons, videos and information will help develop the skills for writing task 2. This page will teach you how to maximise your IELTS writing task 2 score. All lessons are on this page are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. On this page, you will find for free: Test Information for Writing Task 2.
PDF Essay structure and writing an introduction
Procedure: introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - Essay structures and introductions. give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas. draw attention to the True / False task and clarify the importance of spending time with the ...
IELTS General Writing Task 2: Essay Sample Answers
The 2nd task in IELTS General Writing is to write an essay. Here are the examples of successful responses for a high score. Pay attention to the structure of the answer and how paragraphs composition; main ideas and the examples they are supported with. IELTS General Writing Task 2 looks like this (part in bold changes). WRITING TASK 2
IELTS Writing Task 2: ️ Everything You Need to Know
When helping students prepare for the IELTS test, one of the biggest fears is how to do well in IELTS Writing Task 2. IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing test, where you are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to write an essay in response. Your essay should be in a formal style, at least 250 words ...
PDF IELTS General Training Task 1 Planning your writing
An activity which helps students plan their writing for IELTS General Task 1 and use a process which helps them maximise their marks in each criteria . Time required: 60-70 minutes . Additional materials required: sample task - one copy for each student:
Free IELTS General Training Writing Test
Free online IELTS General Training Writing practice test - paper. You will be allowed 1 hour to complete two tasks in the IELTS General Training Writing test. The two parts of this practice Writing test are presented on two separate web pages. Make sure you move swiftly from one page to the next so that your practice is as realistic as possible.
How to Plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay
In this video, Jay teaches you how to to plan for a complex IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay question. Need to score 8+ in IELTS Writing? WATCH THIS VIDEO! Learn m...
IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
In the real IELTS General Training Writing test, you will have one hour to complete both of the two set writing tasks. Task 1 should take you 20 minutes, leaving 40 minutes for task 2. Before starting the first practice task, you might like to set an alert to make sure you don't go too far over. When you take your IELTS General Training ...
How to Write an IELTS Essay: The key steps
1) Introduction. You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.
IELTS Writing task 2: 8 steps for a band 8
Step 4: Organise your essays into paragraphs. Use paragraphs to organise your essay into clear parts. Make sure each paragraph contains a clear and developed topic with a minimum of two sentences. You can use the acronym "PEEL" when writing your essay: Point - introduce your topic or topic sentence.
IELTS General Writing: task 2 plan
IELTS General Writing: task 2 plan. Last week I suggested that you plan some ideas for the question below. Some people prefer renting than buying a home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of renting your home? Here's a 13-sentence essay plan using the ideas that people shared: Introduction. 1. Introduce the topic (e.g.
IELTS General writing
Timing. The total time allowed for the IELTS General Training Writing test is 60 minutes. Time yourself and allow just one hour to complete both parts. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. In other words, task 1 is worth 33.3 % of the marks and task 2 is worth 66.6%.
IELTS Essay Planning: 4 Step Approach
IELTS essay planning is the key to getting a band score of 7 or above in the IELTS writing test. You should plan for at least 5 minutes before you start to write. But, you say, "I don't have time!" Good planning saves you time. IELTS essay planning means you can write faster because you already know what you're going to write. Without a ...
100 Band 7, 8 + 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples
In this blog post, we have compiled a list of 100 Band 7, 8, and 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay samples to help you improve your writing skills and boost your chances of achieving a high score on the exam. These sample essays cover a wide range of topics, from education and technology to health and environment, and are a valuable resource for ...
Lesson plans
Writing - Task Two. Lesson plan. Description. Developing arguments. With a focus on planning and preparing to write, this lesson develops students' ability to examine the question and generate ideas. By analysing the use of cohesive devices in two different ways to balance an argument, students are encouraged to provide coherent and cohesive ...
How to Plan an IELTS Essay
You don't have to think of ideas or structure; write grammatically correct sentences and clearly say what you think about the question. You don't have to spend exactly 10 minutes planning and 5 minutes checking at the end. You could plan for 7-8 minutes and check for 2-3 minutes.
35 Sample Band 9 IELTS Essays
35 Sample Band 9 IELTS Essays. Take a look at these 35 sample Band 9 IELTS essays for writing task 2 of the IELTS exam. Task 2 can cover a wide range of essay topics for the IELTS writing task section of the test, so preparation is key. Use the following samples when preparing your IELTS essays to see how close you are to a band 9!
2024 IELTS General Writing Task 1 (Letter) With Answers
We organize all IELTS general writing task 1questions by test date. You can search them by the left side's filter. 1. Recent Letter Questions. 2024-05-11: Letter No. 1. Your employer is considering ways to adjust work hours and reduce them overall.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Format, Sample, Tips
The IELTS Writing Task 2: The second portion of the writing test, known as IELTS Writing Task 2, asks you to produce an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. Your essay should be written in a formal tone, be at least 250 words long, and take no more than 40 minutes to finish. Table of Content. IELTS Writing Task 2- Format. 1.
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Samples
IELTS General Writing Task 1 Samples. Writing task 1 of the IELTS General Writing test is always letter writing. In Task 1, you will be given a situation, and based on the situation, you will be asked to write a formal, semi-formal, or informal letter. It is advisable to spend 20 minutes on Writing task 1, which requires you to write at least ...
IELTS General Task 1 Sample Questions and Essays
IELTS Letter Writing General Task 1 - training and overview. Letter writing in English consists of standard phrases and structures, most of which are outlined below in this tutorial.. Also, you can use the question as a ready-made plan to follow for your writing, you can write a few sentences for each bullet point in the question, and you have a well-structured answer covering the task ...