The IELTS writing test has two parts, or tasks. The first part is an information transfer task. This means you need to take information from a table, chart or diagram and present it in the form of a short written description. The second part is a discursive composition. For this task you are given a statement or an opinion about something and you must present your view.

The whole test takes an hour, but you will need more time for Task 2 than Task 1 because you have to write more words and it is worth more points. The test is organised like this:

	Number of words Suggested time Task 1: Information Transfer 150 20 minutes Task 2: Discursive Composition 250 40 minutes

In this first lesson you’ll

			learn about the different kinds of writing you may be asked to do in the test
			practise reading and understanding tables
			look at different ways of expressing numbers
			practise ‘brainstorming ideas’ for compositions
			revise language for expressing purpose, cause and effect
			look at ways of writing ‘problem and solution’ type compositions

Activity 1 > The IELTS writing test - types of writing > 5 minutes

Click here for a list of the types of writing you have to do in the IELTS test. Sort the list into writing for Task 1 and writing for Task 2.

Activity 2 > Understanding Tables  > 10 minutes

In IELTS Writing Task 1 you may be asked to describe data given in a table. Before you begin writing, take a few minutes to ‘read’ and understand the table. Think about the following:

			Read the instructions carefully - these will tell you what the table shows.
			Does the table have a title? If it does, read it carefully so that you know what the table is about.
			Is the table static or dynamic? Static tables show data at one point in time; dynamic tables show how data changes over time. This will affect the language you use in your description.
			What do the columns and rows represent?
			What unit of measurement does each cell represent? Kilometres, euros, litres…??
			Be clear about what the table does not show!

Read this IELTS task and then decide whether the statements which follow are true or false or if it is impossible to tell from the data. Click here to choose T / F or Im.

	The table below shows how the percentage of British adults who use the Internet changed over a five year period. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

Activity 3 > Ways of expressing numbers > 5 minutes

There are a number of different ways of expressing the same figure in English. For example, we can say ‘a half’, ‘one in two’ or ‘fifty per cent’ and they all mean the same. It’s a good idea to vary the way you express figures in your description of the table or chart.

Click to group these phrases used to describe figures into phrases which mean the same.

Activity 4: Ways of expressing numbers > 10 minutes

Now look again at the table above about Internet usage from Activity 2.  Click to use expressions from Activity 3 to complete these sentences about the table. Remember to use a variety of ways to describe the figures.

Activity 5: Using quantifiers (1) > 5 minutes

In Part 1 of the writing test you may have to describe amounts. You’ll need to be careful using quantifiers - words like ‘much’, ‘many’, ‘some’ etc.

Click here to put the words and expressions into the correct group.

Activity 6 > Using quantifiers (2) > 10 minutes

The table below shows how men and women spend their time each day. It’s a static table - i.e. it doesn’t show changes over time, but compares values at one point in time. Notice also that the table has two sets of figures: the black figures show time spent in minutes, the blue figures show the actual number of people asked who said that they do these activities.

Now look at the table and click here to complete the description by choosing the best word or phrase for each gap.

Activity 7 > Example Task 1 > 10 minutes

Look at the example task 1 question below and then try to complete the sample answer using language we’ve looked at so far in this lesson.

Click here to produce the sample answer.  This is only one possible answer.  You may put something different which could still be correct.

This lesson continues here.