IELTS Preparatory Crash coursea guide to Writing Task 2 of IELTS

Aldyansyah, S.S

ELT Practitioner

Writing

• Number of tasks: 2

• Time: 60 minutes

– Task 1 (20 minutes): writing at least 150 words of a summary from a graph, chart, diagram or table.

– Task 2 (40 minutes): writing at least 250 words of a discussion on a given opinion, problem or issue.

IELTS Sample Extract—Writing Task 2

IELTS Sample Extract—Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2--Judgement Criteria

Task 2

Task Response

• Formulate and develop a position in relation to a given prompt

• Ideas should be supported by evidence, and examples.

• Responses must be at least 250 words.

Coherence and Cohesion

• Clarity and fluency of the message

how the response organises and links information, ideas and language.

• Coherence: the linking of ideas through logical sequencing

• Cohesion: the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions)

Lexical Resource

The range of vocabulary the candidate has used and the accuracy and appropriacy

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The range and accurate use of the candidate’s grammatical resource

The criteria

• Task Achievement—Does it contain the information instructed?

• Coherence and Cohesion—is the information presented

clearly and understandably?

• Lexical Resource—is it not repetitive?

• Grammatical Range and Accuracy—does it employ

various grammar forms correctly?

Thriving on The criteria

• Task Achievement—Does it contain the information instructed?

– Plan your paragraphs using the guideline in the instruction

• Coherence and Cohesion—is the information presented

clearly and understandably?

– Brainstorm the appropriate cohesive devices

• Lexical Resource—is it not repetitive?

– Brainstorm numerous paraphrases

• Grammatical Range and Accuracy—does it employ

various grammar forms correctly?

– Brainstorm various applicable structures

Pre-writing plannerParagraph Content Cohesive devices Lexical units

1

(stating your opinion; do not just copy sentences from the question. It is acceptable to have only 1 or 2 sentences here)

2(explaining your opinion, and provide supporting details to your opinion)

3(giving follow-up ideas to your opinion, e.g. ways of applying them)

4(providing additional back-up arguments if necessary)

5(concluding and summarising; do not simply repeat what you wrote in previous-especially 1st- paragraphs)

Pop Cohesive Devices

1. Conjunctions

2. Clause Connectors

3. Sentence connectors

4. Descriptive punctuations

5. Pronouns

Conjunctions

• And, e.g. this issue is hazardous and threatening

• But, e.g. this issue threatens the public but yields profit for the country

• Or, e.g. this issue can be neglected or set aside

• Both-and, e.g. this issue is crucial for both the society and government

• Either-or, e.g. this issue needs to be either tended to or ignored

• Neither-nor, e.g. this issue gives neither benefit nor loss

• Not only-but also, e.g. this issue creates not only problem but also crisis

Clause Connectors

• Coordinate connectors– And, but, or, yet

• Adverb clause connectors– Time: when, while, as long as, as soon as, before, after, since,

etc.– Cause: because, since, as, etc.– Condition: if, unless, as long as, provided, providing, whether,

etc– Place: where, wherever

• Adjective clause connectors– Who, whom, which, that

• Noun clause connectors– What, when, where, who, whom, which, how, why, etc.

Sentence connectors• Contrast Connectors

On the other hand, In contrast, conversely, however, yet, still, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so, in spite

of this, despite that/this

• Result Connectors

as a consequence, accordingly, for this/that reason, therefore, as a result, consequently, hence, thus, because of that/this

• Addition and listing Connectors

Also, besides, further, moreover, furthermore, in addition, first (firstly, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, for one thing )secondly (second, in the second place, for another thing), thirdly (third, in the third place), finally, lastly, last of all

• Time Connectors

at first, afterwards, later, then, in the mean time, meanwhile

• Exemplification Connectors

for instance, for example, to illustrate

• Particularisation Connectors

in particular, particularly, specifically

• Explanation Connectors

that is, namely, in other words, that is to say

• Similarity Connectors

Likewise, similarly, correspondingly, by the same token,in the same way

• Emphasis Connectors

in fact, indeed, as a matter of fact, actually

• Refutation Connectors

on the contrary

• Reformulation Connectors

in other words, to put it in a different way/put differently

• Correction Connectors

Rather, to be more precise

• Transition Connectors

as for, as to, with regard to, with respect to, as regards, regarding, as far as X is concerned

• Alternative Connector

Alternatively

• Negative condition Connectors

or else, otherwise

• Summation/ conclusion Connectors

in summary, in brief, in short, in conclusion, to be brief, to sum up, all in all

Connective punctuations

Connective punctuations

Pronouns

Make sure that the pronouns and their references are appropriate; for instance:

‘Cars are more costly in terms of maintenance than motorcycles—it requires expensive spare parts.’

In the example the pronoun it is incorrect; it is supposed to be they since Cars is the plural form of car.

Vocabulary Building—Word Families

Common Grammar errors

• Subject-Verb agreement: the graph describe…

• Tenses: the income has decreased last year

• Passive-active voice: most students admitted by the university in 2004

• Wrong parts of speech: the various of the habitants has significant improved

• Collocation errors: many researches have been made in order to unravel the mystery

• Infinitive and gerund usage: The government is looking forward to eradicate corruption in the country

Important titbits

• Strive for consistent English style (AmE or BrE) usage

• Avoid spending too much time in the introductory part of your essay; rather, allocate more time in answering the key points given in the question

• Minimise using colloquial lexicons

IELTS Sample Extract—Writing Task 2

Sample Essays

Given description:The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be asmany as 29 million vehicles on British roads.Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international lawsintroduced to control car ownership and use.To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Band 5

Sample Essays

Analysis:Positive traits:• Tittle use• The essay fulfils most of

the required information from the instruction

• Fairly good usage of some basic connectives

• Fairly complex structure in the last paragraph

In-need-of-improvement:• A lot of is more of a

colloquial lexical unit• Misspelling issue exists• Pronoun misusage causing

misunderstanding for the reader

• Less effort in rephrasing the description

• Lack of variety in lexical forms

Band 5

Sample Essays

Examiner comment:The answer is short at just over 200 words and thus loses marks for content. There are some relevant arguments but these are notvery well developed and become unclear in places. The organisation of the answer is evident through the use of fairly simpleconnectives but there are problems for the reader in that there are many missing words and word order is often incorrect. Thestructures are quite ambitious but often faulty and vocabulary is kept quite simple.

Band 5

Sample Essays

Examiner comment:There are quite a lot of ideas and while some of these are supported better than others, there is an overall coherence to the answer.The introduction is perhaps slightly long and more time could have been devoted to answering the question. The answer is fairly easy to follow and there is good punctuation. Organisational devices are evident although some areas of the answer becomeunclear and would benefit from more accurate use of connectives. There are some errors in the structures but there is also evidenceof the production of complex sentence forms. Grammatical errors interfere slightly with comprehension.

Band 6

IELTS Sample Extract—Writing Task 2

Sample Essays

Examiner comment:Although the script contains some good arguments, these are presented using poor structures and the answer is not very coherent.The candidate has a clear point of view but not all the supporting arguments are linked together well and sometimes ideas are left unfinished. There is quite a lot of relevant vocabulary but this is not used skilfully and sentences often have words missing or lapseinto different styles. The answer is spoilt by grammatical errors and poor expression.

Band 5

Sample EssaysBand 7

Sample EssaysBand 7

Examiner comment:The answer is wellwrittenand contains some good arguments. It does tend to repeat these arguments but the writer’s point of viewremains clear throughout. The message is easy to follow and ideas are arranged well with good use of cohesive devices. There are minor problems with coherence and at times the expression is clumsy and imprecise. There is a wide range of structures that arewell handled with only small problems in the use of vocabulary, mainly in the areas of spelling and word choice.

Application Session

Apply the theories and hindsight: dive into your writing realm

Pre-writing plannerParagraph Content Cohesive devices Lexical units

1

(stating your opinion; do not just copy sentences from the question. It is acceptable to have only 1 or 2 sentences here)

2(explaining your opinion, and provide supporting details to your opinion)

3(giving follow-up ideas to your opinion, e.g. ways of applying them)

4(providing additional back-up arguments if necessary)

5(concluding and summarising; do not simply repeat what you wrote in previous-especially 1st- paragraphs)

Sentence connectors• Contrast Connectors

On the other hand, In contrast, conversely, however, yet, still, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so, in spite

of this, despite that/this

• Result Connectors

as a consequence, accordingly, for this/that reason, therefore, as a result, consequently, hence, thus, because of that/this

• Addition and listing Connectors

Also, besides, further, moreover, furthermore, in addition, first (firstly, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, for one thing )secondly (second, in the second place, for another thing), thirdly (third, in the third place), finally, lastly, last of all

• Time Connectors

at first, afterwards, later, then, in the mean time, meanwhile

• Exemplification Connectors

for instance, for example, to illustrate

• Particularisation Connectors

in particular, particularly, specifically

• Explanation Connectors

that is, namely, in other words, that is to say

• Similarity Connectors

Likewise, similarly, correspondingly, by the same token,in the same way

• Emphasis Connectors

in fact, indeed, as a matter of fact, actually

• Refutation Connectors

on the contrary

• Reformulation Connectors

in other words, to put it in a different way/put differently

• Correction Connectors

Rather, to be more precise

• Transition Connectors

as for, as to, with regard to, with respect to, as regards, regarding, as far as X is concerned

• Alternative Connector

Alternatively

• Negative condition Connectors

or else, otherwise

• Summation/ conclusion Connectors

in summary, in brief, in short, in conclusion, to be brief, to sum up, all in all

All in all, in task 2 writing:

1. Plan

2. Fulfil

3. Connect

4. Vary

5. Check

Happy practicing at home