In the following task, you can see two bar charts, each with a timeframe that indicates a trend. In this case, it is dynamic data which changes over time between 2002 and 2010. It’s important to cover the key features of this task, but also to make it concise and logical.
Tables in IELTS writing task 1 can be tricky because you are presented with a lot of data, but you need to be concise and selective here. Sometimes tables show dynamic data (data that changes over a time period) in this post, the table is static data (one time period)
Start by paraphrasing the task, then make sure to write a concise overview that summarises the data. The overview should only be 2 or 3 sentences, and it starts with the word ‘overall‘.
IELTS opinion essay on longer weekends.I wrote this model answer based on a topic from the new Cambridge IELTS 19 book. Always use authentic material when you are practicing for IELTS. This will prepare you for the real exam much better than some of the fake writing tasks online.
Some people struggle with relevant ideas for IELTS essay tasks. One way to get ideas for your essays is to regularly read articles and news stories about topics that often appear in IELTS writing such as work, health, technology, education, society, family, environment, crime, and so on.
The new Cambridge IELTS 19 book is here and there is a process diagram about how ethanol is made. This is a cyclical diagram as the CO2 goes back into the process. You can purchase the Cambridge IELTS 19 practice book online it’s beneficial for home practice.
Model answer for an IELTS bar chart on USA household income.Here is a tricky IELTS academic task that I wrote a model answer for from the Cambridge IELTS 18 book. As I mentioned in posts before, always use authentic material such as IELTS Cambridge books or British Council material when practicing because there is a lot of fake IELTS stuff on the internet.
This task was quite difficult to write about as I had to spend longer than usual analysing the bar chart and I needed to plan the report to make it as concise as possible.
Model answer for an IELTS advantage disadvantage (outweigh) essay.Updated: February 2024
One of the most difficult essay types for many band 6 students is the ‘outweigh’ essay, which is an advantage disadvantage essay that is asking your opinion about which side you think is stronger.
The keyword in the task is ‘outweigh’. So you must cover the advantage and the disadvantage in this essay and clearly state your opinion. Do not only write about the advantages. you will need to cover both sides for a higher score in task response.
Model answer for a two-part question essay on homes and housing.This task was in the Cambridge IELTS 16 book about learning the background of ones home.
At first, you must look at the general topic, which in this case is about housing, then analyse the task to find out what you need to write about and the type of essay it is. In this case, it has two questions in the instruction words so this is a two-part question essay (direct questions essay). Take a look at how I have structured this and given specific examples to support the main ideas.
Natural process diagram in IELTS.Updated: September 2024
In IELTS writing task 1 process diagrams you will often see a diagram on how something is made or how something works with all the steps included.
Something that used to be quite common in IELTS was a natural process diagram such as the lifecycle of a butterfly, a honey bee or a weather cycle showing evaporation and rainfall. It’s still worth practicing writing about natural processes in case one comes up again in the exam.
Here is a model answer based on an essay topic from the Cambridge IELTS 15 textbook on the role of newspapers and books in the future. It’s an opinion essay and in this type of essay, you need to clearly state your opinion throughout the response.
The answer is quite long at over 300 words so I would advise aiming for under 300 words as you will only have 40 minutes to write the essay.
Tricky or strange IELTS part 1 speaking topics.Updated: September 2023
Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test is actually the easiest. The topics are always about you and your experiences. Usually, the topics are pretty easy everyday topics such as job, studies, hobbies, accommodation, travel, hometown, music, daily routine, pets and so on. The examiner asks between 9 to 12 questions based around 3 topics and this part of the test lasts around 5 minutes.
However, the examiner will often ask you questions around an unusual topic. This is quite normal as the examiner wants to check whether you have memorised answers to the most common topics and needs to evaluate your true ability. Do not memorise stock answers as the examiner is trained to spot these and you could lose marks.