The IELTS examination is one of the most reputed tests in the world. Many popular and highly ranked universities all around the world consider IELTS scores for access into the institution.
There are numerous benefits of giving this language exam. Aspirants who are willing to shift abroad to complete their higher education look forward to giving this English proficiency exam.
There are many categories of the IELTS exam for the aspirant to accomplish. There are mainly four components of the examination. The writing, reading, speaking, and listening assessments.
The patterns of all the sections differ from each other. The marking scheme may also vary for all the phases. The writing section is considered the major portion of the examination. It consists of two tasks for the aspirant to evaluate their writing skills.
In this article, we shall talk about writing task 1 of the IELTS general test. The pattern of the questions asked in the essay section of the English language quiz. Few examples for you to understand the structure of the paper. How to answer them correctly with accurate grammar? And, how to boost up your vocabulary skills? Do read it till the end to master writing task 1 of the IELTS assessment.
IELTS Writing Test
The writing section of the English language test has many tasks for the aspirants to complete. Some of them are easy to achieve but some of them require more time and effort. The tasks for IELTS academic and general tests differ in several aspects like the reading section and the essay section.
Writing task 1 of the IELTS academic consists of a particular graph, pie chart, bar graph, table, chart, or any diagram. The candidate is expected to transfer the information from the diagram into a summary of about 150 words. Meanwhile, on the other hand, task 1 of the general exam consists of letter writing, the candidate will have 20 minutes to write the letter. The letter can be formal, semi-formal, or informal.
Also Read: How to Describe Pie Chart in IELTS Writing Task 1? Learn the Best Way
IELTS Writing Task 1 General
Writing task 1 of IELTS general evaluates the communication and vocabulary skills of the aspirants. It only consists of letter writing. The nature of the letter may be formal, semi-formal, or informal. The format of the letter, the vocabulary used and the pattern of the essay will be analyzed by the examiner.
The candidate will be allotted 20 minutes to complete this task. This task occupies 30% of the space in your overall writing score. The score of essay task 2 is measured separately.
How to Perform the IELTS Writing Task 1 General?
Despite knowing the pattern, many candidates still wonder how to write the IELTS writing task 1 general? Well here’s the best answer for you. By practising the below steps you can crack the letter-writing of task 1 of the IELTS.
Identify the Type of Letter
There are three kinds of letters:
| Formal | Addresses to a person you have not met, whose name you don’t know |
| Semi-Formal | Addresses to a person you may or may not have met, whose last name you know |
| Informal | Addresses to a person you know well, whose first name you know and use |
Identify the Purpose of Letter
| Type | Purpose |
| Formal | Applying for a job,
Requesting certain information from a company or an institution, Complaining to a bank or a store, Making a suggestion or recommendation. |
| Semi-Formal | Explaining to a neighbour
Complaining to an owner or landlord Requesting a professor or owner for permission |
| Informal | Inviting a person you know well
Apologizing Thanking a friend Asking for an advice |
Also Read: Life Cycle of Silkworm Diagram: IELTS Diagram Writing Task 1
Opening and Closing Phrase of the Letter
| Type | Opening Phrase | Closing Phrase |
| Formal | Dear Sir/Madam | Yours faithfully |
| Semi-Formal | Dear Mr. Alex
Dear Ms.Nerissa |
Yours sincerely |
| Informal | Dear Jack
Dear Bella |
Best Wishes
Lots of Love Best Regards |
Beginning of the Letter
The opening of a formal or semi-formal letter should be formal with a formal sentence. For a formal one, it can be like
# I’m writing this letter to you due to
# I’m writing this letter in relation with
The beginning should be formal and directed to the point. For a semi-formal letter, the starting line can be
# I’m writing this letter to inform you that…
# I’m writing this letter to let you know that…
For an informal one, it should begin with an informal sentence like
# How are you?
# I hope you are doing well
# I hope you and your family are safe at home
The opening paragraph should be of informal style.
Use of Proper Spellings
The use of correct spelling is very significant for any writing. You might lose several marks if you don’t use the proper spelling. Don’t omit any words if you don’t know how to spell instead replace them with a word or a phrase having the exact meaning. Never change the actual meaning of the sentence by using different words.
Divide the Letter into Paragraphs
Divide your letter into paragraphs. Don’t leave a line after a passage, just start your next passage from the left side to the margin. The paragraphs should be split up in the following manner:
# Introduction
# Situation or problem
# Action or solution
# Conclusion
Also Read: Recent IELTS Writing Topics: Topics and Question for the Year 2021
Write in Good Handwriting
The presentation of your content matters the most. Don’t mess it up, write neatly in good and clear handwriting. Divide the content into passages in a clear manner. Bad handwriting and puts a negative impression on the examiner.
Meeting the Word Count
The word count of the letter is 150 words. You don’t need to exactly match the word count. Always try to exceed it by 20 to 30 words until you feel that nothing is required to write further. Don’t add unnecessary information just to increase the word count.
Time Management
You will be given 20 minutes to perform this task. You need to be quick and precise while writing the letter. Don’t spend more than 20 minutes on this task. Write within the allotted time without rushing. Some candidates take time to write in good handwriting and present well. Your speed and writing should coordinate to give a reasonable presentation.
Below is a sample for you to understand the pattern of writing the letter in the examination. Read it carefully and comprehend how the sentences are framed meaningfully to make the content interesting and unique.
Sample Letter
Write a letter to your cousin who is moving to your city for her higher education. Give her advice about living in your city, recommending the interesting parts of the city to live in, the means of transport which can be used and how she can meet new people in the town.
IELTS Writing Task 1 General Model Answer
Dear Arisha,
I can’t express how much I’m excited to know that you are shifting to Delhi for your higher education. Being away from family for so many years has been tough for me. I always wished I had someone along with me residing in the same city and supporting me in pursuing my education. As soon as my grandmother told me that you got a seat at the University of Delhi, I was so delighted and eager to welcome you into my city.
First of all congratulations on getting the seat, it’s not easy to get access to the University of Delhi. Your hard work and dedication were all that brought you to your ambition. There are several interesting things in the city of Delhi. The Taj Mahal and Red Fort in Agra are really beautiful and fascinating aspects of the city.
In means of transport, the latest invention of the metro train is the best source for outsiders to travel across the city. It is cheap as well as convenient for you to travel wherever you feel like. There are many reasonable hostels and flats for you to reside in the city. The hostels provide numerous facilities for you to have a better living.
People here are really friendly and generous. You can make new friends easily. I’m sure you shall enjoy living here pursuing your education.
Hoping to see you soon!
Lots of Love,
Inara
How to Improve my IELTS Writing Task 1 General?
IELTS is all about English language skills. If your language skills are perfect, then you can crack this English language proficiency exam easily and effortlessly. The only major thing for the aspirants is to exercise their English language capabilities before appearing for the test.
Good communication and interaction skills are essential for all language tests. Maintaining a good vocabulary and reasonable grammar are all crucial aspects needed for the English language test.
Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills
Below are a few tips to improve your skills for task 1 of the general test. Analyze all the points carefully to boost up your IELTS preparation and abilities for task 1 of your examination.
Start with the Basics
Before composing content, you need to be perfect with your basic language skills. These basic abilities include spelling and grammar. The use of proper tenses and vocabulary. If you are poor at grammar, it’s nothing to worry about. You can start brushing up your abilities from the beginning.
Exercise spellings and figure out where you are going wrong. Learn the use of the proper vowel for the correct pronunciation. Practice small assignments to enhance your grammar skills. There are numerous tasks and courses available which provide you with the best training in a short time.
Also Read: How to Describe a Diagram in IELTS? A Complete Guide to Ace Writing Task 1
Make Writing Your Habit
As we all believe practice makes you perfect.
Keep on composing essays or articles on any topic you are interested in. To make it a little interesting, show your essay to any of your friends or a family member and tell them to give a review. This will help you improve your skills and acknowledge where you are making mistakes.
Don’t pick up hard topics. Write on general or social topics of your interest such that your essay should be in easy language for the other person to understand it better.
You can find numerous topics on the internet to write an essay on. You can gradually increase the level of difficulty of the topics too. And this is how you slowly move on enhancing your essay aptitudes.
Read as much as You Can
Reading should become your habit. Reading books, novels, newspapers, and articles will help you boost up your analytic capabilities. You can understand how the writer is trying to illustrate his idea to the audience. By knowing this you can apply it to your essay to make it an adequate one.
Reading newspapers and magazines will benefit you to know about current affairs if you plan to write on any social issues. Without having general knowledge, what’s happening around the world, one cannot write articles on social topics. Reading also assists you to learn new words and use them in your article and make it a productive one.
Admire Great Writers
If you know any of your friends or a family member who is a good writer then utilize their presence. Read the essays or articles they wrote before. Ask them how they started their essays. Take a few tips which are applicable to your writing. Show them your skills so that you feel motivated and confidential about your work.
Know the Pattern
It is very significant to know the structure of writing. If you are composing an essay, article, letter, or email, you must know the pattern of composing it. Your work is nothing if it doesn’t follow the pattern. Like for an essay the pattern is, starting with the introduction, body, and then conclusion.
In letter writing the pattern is different for all distinct letter types. Like the formal, semi-formal, and informal. You should know the structure of each letter. How to begin it, where you need to write the sender’s address and the receiver’s address, and what will be the starting and the closing line. Everything should be acknowledged perfectly before you write it.
Enhance Your Vocabulary
Vocabulary is key to writing a piece. Knowing the correct tenses used in a sentence, putting the exact meaning into phrases, and use of exact words to define a term, are all necessary guidelines for good content. The content you write shouldn’t be a boring one, it should be interesting as well as impressive, the reader should like what you write.
There are various ways to increase your vocabulary skills. Playing word games, using flashcards depicting new words, and understanding the true meaning of the words are distinct techniques to expand your vocabulary.
Reading the dictionary is the best source to learn new words which you can apply in content to make it more unique and advanced.
Conclusion
Hoping that the above article was helpful to you to know all about writing task 1 of the IELTS general test. The preparation tips mentioned above will help you prepare adequately for the test. Look out for the sample letter given above to know the exact pattern.
Want to know more about the IELTS test? Looking for more such articles related to English language tasks. Then you are at the right website, IELTS Ninja, which gives you the best guidance and training to exercise you well for the examination.
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