O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Attempt this quiz on Writing Task

1. How much time should you spend on IELTS Writing Task 1?2. Is there a word limit for IELTS Writing Task 1 and 2? If so, how many words should you write

for each task?3. How many paragraphs should you aim to write for IELTS Writing Task 2?4. Should you give your opinion and your own ideas when writing IELTS Writing Task 1?5. Is spelling important for the IELTS writing exam?6. What is the first thing you should do when attempting IELTS writing tasks? (After you have

read and understood the question)7. Can you copy the exact words/phrases as given in the prompt?8. How should you format your introduction paragraph?9. How many body paragraphs should you write in Writing Task 1?10. How should you structure the conclusion?

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

IELTS Writing (Task 1 and 2)

E The IELTS Academic Writing test is made up of two tasks, Writing Task 1 and WritingTask 2. The questions in the Academic Writing test are different to those in the GeneralTraining Writing test.E In Academic Writing Task 1, you will be shown a visual representation of information; agraph, table, chart or diagram, and you are asked to summarise, describe or explain theinformation you see. Make sure you organise your response into three main parts, theintroduction, an overview and the main features supported by figures from the diagram.E In Academic Writing Task 2, you will be presented with a point of view, argument, orproblem. The topics can range from the environment to immigration, culture, and eventechnology. You might be asked to, agree or disagree with a point of view or argument,discuss two opposing views, write about the advantages or disadvantages of a topic, orexplain a given problem, or the cause of a problem and offer a solution. Your response forAcademic Writing Task 2 will need to be in an essay format.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Types of IELTS Writing Task 2

Usually, IELTS essay is one of the following types:1. Opinion Essays - Agree/Disagree2. Discussion Essays – Presenting Two sides of a Statement3. Problem, Cause and Solution Essays4. Advantage/Disadvantage – Presenting the Negative and Positive Side of the Issue

E Depending on the topic, decide what is your opinion on it and why.E Have a clear position, don't hesitate between two opinions!E Then find examples you will use for this task.E You should spend a few minutes on planning.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Developing your vocabulary in IELTS writing

1. Avoiding ‘a lot of ‘Take a look at these two sentences below, which do you think has a more academic feel?

• A lot of people are working from home recently.• A significant number of people are working from home recently.

Both sentences are correct grammatically but the 2nd sentence aboveis much better as it uses a collocation.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Below are more academic ways to say ‘a lot of’’ + countable noun. These phrasesbelow are collocations and this would be better for your vocabulary score.

1. A growing number of people believe that A.I will take their jobs.2. A large number of animals are losing their natural habitats.3. A large proportion of new cars have hybrid engines now.4. A significant number of people are working from home recently.5. More and more policy makers are concerned about the environment.6. The Japanese government has spent large sums of money on hosting the Olympics7. By 2030, the vast majority of cars will be electric vehicles.

If I used the words ‘a lot of‘ in place of the bold phrases above it’s not incorrect but it seems like weak use of vocabulary for an academic essay, and I tend to see this a lot in Band 5 or Band 6 essays.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

2. Correct use of the word ‘humans’This a word that is often used in the wrong context and is common in Band 5 or Band 6 essays.Key point: ‘Humans’ should only be used in the context of peoples affect on natural habitats / environment, comparing with other species, space travel, and evolution.

1. Human activity, such as deforestation for the building of housing projects, has had a detrimental effect on most species natural habits.

2. It is highly likely that there will be human settlements on Mars by 2040.3. Humans have evolved over thousands of years to speak many languages.4. Genetically engineered humans will be common within 30 years.5. Of all the species, humans are considered the most intelligent.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

In the sentences below use ‘people’ instead of ‘humans’

1. People these days tend to depend too much on their smartphones.2. People could be living on Mars in the next 20 years. (I can also use

humans here)3. More and more people are deciding to live a minimalist lifestyle

now.4. Most people are worried about the effect on the economy because

of lockdowns.5. Many people would say that global warming is a scam to tax

citizens and make profit.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

3. Avoiding ‘nowadays / these days ‘It seems students like to use this as a synonym of ‘recently‘. This is not actually incorrect but it would be better to use a phrase such as ‘In recent decades / Currently / In recent times / years / months

Which of these sentences below would be better?

a) Nowadays many animals are on the endangered list or are close to extinction.b) In recent times, many animals are close to extinction or are on the endangered list.c) Nowadays, the vast majority of people are using the internet for studying online.d) Currently, the vast majority of people are using the internet for studying online.e) In recent months, the vast majority of people have been using the internet for studying online.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

3. Avoiding ‘nowadays / these days ‘It seems students like to use this as a synonym of ‘recently‘. This is not actually incorrect but it would be better to use a phrase such as ‘In recent decades / Currently / In recent times / years / months

Which of these sentences below would be better? (Answer)

a) Nowadays many animals are on the endangered list or are close to extinction.b) In recent times, many animals are close to extinction or are on the endangered list.c) Nowadays, the vast majority of people are using the internet for studying online.d) Currently, the vast majority of people are using the internet for studying online.e) In recent months, the vast majority of people have been using the internet for studying online.

Note - It is not incorrect to use ‘nowadays’ but this word is overused in IELTS essays.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

ExerciseHow would you improve the paraphrase to this IELTS writing task below?

Task:In recent times many wild animals are near to becoming extinct, while others are on the endangered list. What are the reasons for this, what can be done to solve this problem?

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

(Sample Answer)

Paraphrase:Nowadays, a lot of wild animals have been listed as endangered and some are close to extinction.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Complex Sentence Examples• Complex sentences are fascinating components of the English language.

When used properly, they can add depth to our writing. Complex sentences contain an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

• An independent clause has the ability to stand alone as a sentence. It always makes a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot stand alone, even though it has a subject and a verb.

• Complex sentences are friends and neighbors to compoud sentences. There’s only one difference. Compound sentences contain two independent clauses — that’s all there is to it.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Independent and Dependent ClausesLet’s start with an independent clause, one that can stand alone:• Katie sipped on her cappuccino.

This is an independent clause because it's a complete sentence containing a subject and a verb and fully expressing an idea.

Now let’s see a dependent clause, one that does not fully express an idea:• While Katie sipped on her cappuccino

Although this sentence contains a subject (Katie) and a verb (sipped), it's not a complete thought — we still need more information. Therefore, it’s not a complete sentence.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Independent and Dependent ClausesWhen an independent and a dependent clause join together to form a complex sentence, they can go in either order.

Here's an example where the independent clause comes first:• I was snippy with him because I was running late for work.

Here’s an example where the dependent clause comes first:• Because I was running late for work, I was snippy with him.

To connect independent and dependent clauses, you need subordinating conjunctions like “after,” “while,” or “since.” If the dependent clause comes first, you will generally need to separate the clauses with a comma.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Common Complex Sentence Examples1. Because my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave.2. Although he was wealthy, he was still unhappy.3. She returned the computer after she noticed it was damaged.4. Whenever prices goes up, customers buy less products.5. As she was bright and ambitious, she became a manager in no time.6. Wherever you go, you can always find beauty.7. Evergreen trees are a symbol of fertility because they do not die in the winter.8. Although it was very long, the movie was still enjoyable.9. You should take your car in for a service because it's starting to make weird noises.10. The actor was happy he got a part in a movie even though the part was small.11. After the tornado hit, there was very little left standing.12. The museum was very interesting, as I expected.13. Now that he's rich and famous, people make allowances for his idiosyncrasies.14. Even though he's thoroughly trained, he still makes a lot of mistakes.15. Since winter is coming, I think I'll knit a warm sweater, because I'm always cold.16. When she was younger, she believed in fairy tales.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Take a Pause!Aren't complex sentences a wonderful addition to our writing? With the combination of an independent and dependent clause, they add fuller description and allow us to add a little more detail in a sentence.

Be mindful of your comma usage. Whenever you detect a pause or distinction from your independent clause, check if you need a comma. (See what we did there?) Sometimes it helps to read your work aloud because you'll "hear" where a comma needs to be placed.

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

Sample essay :Q. Many offenders commit more crimes after serving the firstpunishment. Why is this happening, and what measures can betaken to tackle this problem?A. It is true that some criminals commit crimes again after they have been punished. While there are several reasons for this alarming trend, some effective measures can be taken by governments to tackle this problem. (Body paragraph 1)

There are two main reasons for re-offenders. Firstly, the prison system can make the situation worse. Criminals put together in prison and they make friends with other offenders. While they are locked up in prison, they do not have much to do there, and they would exchange information about what they have done before they came to the prison or they may plan crimes with other inmates. Secondly, offenders often do not have any other means of earning money. They are poor, uneducated and lacking skills needed to maintain a job. Also, a criminal record makes finding a job difficult as people usually avoid hiring ex-convict. (Body paragraph 2)

O

Writ

ing

WRITING MODULEWRITING MODULE

To solve this problem, governments should focus on rehabilitation of criminals rather than punishment. Above all, prisons need vocational training which makes inmates to prepare for life outside the prison. They can learn practical skills such as computer programming, car maintenance and graphic design. In this way, they can be hired for a position that requires this certain knowledge and skills. Community service is another way to reform offenders. Rather than being locked up in prison with other inmates, offenders can help society and become useful to their local community, and these activities would eliminate the negative influence that prisons can have. (Body paragraph 3)

In conclusion, it is true the re-offenders are one of the problems in our community; it can be solved by focusing rehabilitation rather than punishment itself. (Body paragraph 4)