IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Summary
IELTS writing task 1 is divided into two categories- IELTS academic writing task 1 and IELTS general writing task 1. IELTS writing task 1 academic covers the question types of visual aids with question statement. While IELTS general training writing task 1 refers to write a letter according to the statement given in the test.
There are 7 types of questions in IELTS academic writing task 1, you can face in the test of IELTS writing. Bar chart, line chart, table chart, pie chart, process diagrams, maps, or multiple graphs are the questions included in IELTS academic writing test to evaluate the understanding abilities of a candidate. You have to write answer in 150 words and there are 20 minutes to solve such task. A brief discussion about introduction and overview is discussed there.
Assessment criteria of writing is necessary to understand to get desired bands in IELTS academic writing task 1 and tips to succeed in IELTS academic writing task 1 are mentioned which are very helpful for IELTS writing.
IELTS writing task 1 is categorized into two forms- IELTS academic and IELTS general. IELTS Academic writing task one is used in IELTS academic and the purpose to choose IELTS academic is to go to English speaking countries for study at higher degree level.
You are suggested to complete this task in 20 minutes. IELTS academic task 1 is about writing a report regarding question statement given in the test. The minimum requirement to write answer is 150 words. Different types of visual aids are included in this task; you have to write with the help of question statement.
While in IELTS general writing task 1, you have to write a letter with the help of question statement. In this article, I am here to tell you about question types, IELTS writing task 1 structure, assessment criteria, and tips to succeed in writing task 1.
To know more about assessment, read the article IELTS writing assessment criteria.
7 types of task questions
The questions in IELTS writing task 1 are in the form of charts and there is total 7 types of questions included in writing task 1 academic.
- Bar chart
- Line graph
- Table chart
- Pie chart
- Process diagrams/flow charts
- Maps
- Multiple graphs
Let us discuss these 7 types one by one:
Bar chart
Bar chart is one of the common examples in IELTS task 1 academic. Data is given in the test vertically or horizontally and you have to describe all main features in the answer.
Line graph
This one is also common in IELTS academic writing task one. A question statement and graph are provided in the test to explain the data given in graph. All of the main features are necessary to provide in your answer.
Table
You can see tables in the test of IELTS writing task 1 regularly in which there is no visual aids. Just numbers are there in the question type of tables. Most of the students face difficulty in this task, but it is not too difficult. You can solve it when you have good practice in writing English. In fact, it is a test of language, not of mathematics.
Pie chart
The way to present data in pie chart is not similar like bar chart and line graph. You have to practice this specific question type very well to perform best in the test.
Process diagram
In this type of question, you have to face a diagram in which different types of process activities are presented. Examples of process diagram are- the way of producing electricity or different ways to produce electricity, or related to any other activity.
Map
You can face multiple types of maps in IELTS test frequently. Practice these types of maps to do well in IELTS academic writing task 1.
Multiple graphs
This type of question is also common in IELTS writing test. In this type of question, you can face two diagrams such as a chart and table, chart and pie chart, bar chart and a line graph etc.
Format of IELTS academic writing task 1
Following is the format of IELTS writing task 1:
Introduction in IELTS academic writing task 1
There is a specific structure to write answer in IELTS academic writing task 1. In this structure of IELTS writing task 1, introduction is the first paragraph of your answer. In introduction, you have to tell the examiner what you are to write in the answer. In fact, you have to paraphrase given diagram of the test in introduction.
Overview in IELTS academic writing task 1
Overview is the summary of the diagram or answer which you are writing. You can add this section in last or after the introduction. The overview comprises of main features, comparisons and contrasts and developments and changes.
How to write an overview and detail
The main points to write an overview and detail of your answer in IELTS writing task 1 are mentioned below:
- Use cohesive devices in your overview to provide summary of the diagram and the data given in test with diagram.
- If you observe very high or very low points, mention them all.
- If there is any comparison, write it.
- If you see any relationship in diagram data, write it.
After getting these points, search more information in diagram and question statement. If you find any specific one, pen it.
Scoring categories
IELTS writing assessment criteria is essential to understand for desired bands and not to do frequent mistakes in your IELTS writing test. The scoring components in IELTS writing are four which are mentioned below:
- Task achievement
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resources
- Grammatical range and accuracy
In order to tell you about task achievement, you have to complete all requirements for IELTS writing task 1 academic. You have to write your answer in minimum 150 words and you have 20 minutes to do this task. All main ideas and features are included in the diagram and question statement; you have to mention in your answer report.
Coherence and cohesion: If you want to achieve good bands in coherence and cohesion, you have to fulfill the requirements of coherence and cohesion. Your answer must be relevant and should follow good sentence structure. Try not to do any repetition in your answer. Use paragraphs and organize your paragraph in the best way. Linking words or cohesive devices make your answer an effective piece of writing.
Lexical resources: To achieve good score in lexical resources, use variety of vocabulary and do not repeat same words in your answer. Avoid using slangs, phrases, idioms and try not to make spelling mistakes in your answer.
Grammatical range and accuracy: Do not do any grammatical mistakes if you want to get good score in grammatical range and accuracy. Punctuation mistakes are also not allowed. Use accurate words, sentence structures and accurate data to get good scores in writing.
Top 5 tips to succeed in IELTS writing task 1
- Do not waste your time and start soon as you understand it.
- Read the question statement properly.
- Organize information, main ideas and features before writing.
- Follow the word limit.
- Provide all main features to get good scores.
In a nutshell
IELTS academic writing task 1 is the writing test in which you have to write answers with the help of visual aids provided in the test. IELTS academic writing task 1 covers 7 types of questions. In IELTS writing task 1 answer, structure to write answer, introduction and overview play very important role. Before appearing in IELTS, remember to get the knowledge of IELTS writing assessment criteria to get desired bands and tips are also very helpful in writing test of IELTS task 1 academic.
