INTRODUCTION TO THE IELTS WRITING TEST FORMAT

The Academic Writing part of the IELTS Test take 60 minutes and consists of two written tasks. Task 1 (20 minutes) is a description report of 150 words based on graphic or pictorial input. Task 2 (40 minutes) is an extended piece of writing essay of 250 words. Candidates are presented with a given point of view or problem on which to base their writing.

Exercise 1: Graphs Main Idea

The graph shows US sports players’ salaries in dollars.

In 1970, baseballers earned $125,000 a year, footballers’ salaries averaged $99,000 a year, and basketball players earned about $43,000 annually.

The important points – beginnings, endings, sudden changes, low points, high points, trends, averages, differences between lines, differences over time.

Write down the main idea based on the graph above!

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Exercise 2: Writing the Description

Complete the main body of the report by filling in the gaps with approprate expression base on the graph below.

Basketball

Baseball

Football

Passengers at a London Underground Station

The graph shows the ____________ in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day.

The ____________ of the day is in the morning. There is a ____________ between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o'clock. After this the numbers ____________ 200 at 10 o'clock. Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with a ____________ of just under 300 people using the station. 

In the afternoon, numbers ____________, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm. There is then ____________ to a ____________ of 380 at 6pm. After 7 pm, numbers fall ____________, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, ____________ after 9 pm.

____________, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods.

Graphs: Vocabulary

Movement (Verbs): Up

Rose Went up Increased Grew Shot up Surged Rocketed

Movement (Verbs): Down

Fell Declined Dropped Decreased Sank Went down

Plunged Plummeted

Adverbs and intensifiers

slightly a little a lot sharply suddenly steeply gradually gently steadily

No Movement: (Verbs with Adjectives, Verbs)

remained steady were unchanged did not change remained constant remained stable stabilized

Tops and Bottoms

reached a peak peaked reached their

highest level fell to a low sank to a trough reached a bottom

Exercise 3: IELTS report, topic: Double line graph describing the birth rate in China and the USA

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.

The graph below compares the changes in the birth rates of China and the USA between 1920 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

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USA

China