IELTS Writing

Writing

What is General Training Writing Task 1?

In GT Task 1 you need to write a letter responding to a given problem or situation.

• The letter may be formal, semi-formal or informal, but it is in a standard format.

• You may be asked to request information, make suggestions, express opinions or make complaints.

• The situations are common, so that anyone can complete them.

• You should do this in at least 150 words and in about 20 minutes.

The question for this task will have three sections:

• Task background: From here, you will be able to see the purpose of the letter and who your reader is.

• Task requirements: These will help you develop your ideas.

• Task instructions: These are the overall instructions for your task.

 

 

How should I organise my time for Task 1?

You have one hour to do Task 1 and Task 2. It is very important that you spend only 20 minutes on Task 1. Leave 40 minutes to do Task 2 as it requires more time and is worth more marks.

Time plan for Writing Task 1

Let's look at a possible time plan to follow when you do Writing Task 1.

Stage Suggested time 

(Total 20 minutes)

1

Read and analyse the task to understand what is expected in your answer 

1 minute

2

Plan what you are going to write

2 minutes

3

Write your answer

15 minutes

4

Check your writing

2 minutes

 

Time Plan in detail

Stage 1

Read and analyse the task to understand what is expected in your answer (about 1 minute)

Understand:

• the topic or situation described in the instructions 

• the function of the letter (complaint/request/enquire etc.)

• the details (what/ where/ when/ how)

• the instructions in each bullet point

Stage 2 Plan what you are going to write (about 2 minutes)

Plan:

• the appropriate opening salutation (Dear...)  and closing salutation (Yours...)

• the appropriate tone (who are you writing to?)

• how many paragraphs to cover all the bullet points

Stage 3 Write your answer (about 15 minutes)

Make sure:

• the purpose of your letter is clear

• you have covered all three bullet points in enough detail

• your layout is correct, with clearly marked paragraphs

• your handwriting is clear and legible

Stage 4 Check your writing (about 3 minutes)

Check that:

• you have included an appropriate opening salutation and matching closing salutation

• you have included your name after the closing salutation (full name for formal letters, first name for informal)

• your spelling is accurate

• your grammar is accurate

• your letter is easy to read and there is an overall progression

• you have used a range of grammar structures

• you have used a range of vocabulary

The assessment criteria for GT Writing Task 1

Your IELTS Writing Task 1 is assessed according to four assessment criteria:

Assessment Criteria

Task Achievement

Coherence and Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range and Accuracy