How are you trying to improve your

writing?
This week, we will be focusing on the Academic Writing test. We chose to put Academic
Writing first because this is what we get the most questions about. We’ll look at the tasks
you will need to do in the test, and how you will be assessed, so that you can understand the
test better and improve your own writing.

First, let’s talk about how you feel about writing now. Think about these questions:

 What do you find most difficult about the IELTS Writing test?
 How do you think you can improve your writing score?
 How do you practise writing in English?

Go to the discussion below, and write your answers to these questions.

Then find another learner’s answers that are interesting, and reply to them.

A sample IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

You have seen what you need to do in the Academic Writing test, and how it is assessed.
Now we will look at some examples.

In this step you can see and try a sample Writing task, then in the next step you will read a
sample answer and some examiner’s comments. We hope this will help you understand
how the assessment criteria are used and how you can improve your own writing.

Here is a sample IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

How would you answer it? You don’t need to write a full answer, but write some notes in
the comments below.

You can download a pdf of the task by clicking on the link below.

In the next step, we will look at a sample answer for this task, and some comments from a
Cambridge English IELTS expert.

Task 1 sample answer and examiner’s

comments
Read this student’s response to the Task 1 from the previous step. Then read the examiner’s
comments on what this student has done well and how they could improve. Think about
how the examiner’s comments relate to the assessment criteria we saw in Step 1.6.
Examiner comments

The writer has made a good effort to answer the question and describe the main points in
the charts. The statements are generally accurate but not full enough to give all the key
points. There is a brief introductory sentence which could be further expanded. The writer
does not use the figures from the charts to support the statements. This means that some
important details are missing.

The candidate’s response to the question is not long enough. For Task 1 candidates must
write at least 150 words but this answer is below that number. The writing is presented in a
satisfactory format. Full sentences are used. The points made in the answer are relevant to
the question but could be developed. There is no clear overview. The final sentence only
refers to female students and therefore does not provide a full summary of the information.
The writing is quite difficult for the reader to follow. The writer attempts to describe the
main differences between male and female students in education. However, the information
is not always presented in a clear way. For example, in the second sentence the writer
moves from male students studying part-time in 1970; part-time and full-time in 1980; and
studying full-time in 1990 and 1970. The sentence is not easy to read as the points are
arranged in a confusing way. The writer uses the linking phrase ’on the other hand’
correctly. However, more linking words and phrases could be used in the answer.

The writer uses a limited range of vocabulary to present the information. Many words and
phrases which the writer uses have already been given in the task and these are repeated in
the answer. There is some use of words to describe trends such as ‘increase’ and ‘decrease’.
In addition, the writer uses the language of comparison, for example ‘compare’ and ‘twice
as many’. However, the writer’s use of such words and phrases is limited.

The writer shows some awareness of sentence structure. However, there are frequent
grammatical errors throughout the answer. These include problems of word order: ‘men
were studying more than women full-time or part-time’; and problems with subject verb
agreement: ‘women has’ instead of ‘women have’. The word ‘it’ is often misused and can
lead to difficulties in understanding the message. Although the writer uses long sentences,
the ideas are linked by words such as ‘but’ and ‘and’ rather than by relative pronouns such
as ‘who’ and ‘which’. Present, and past tenses are generally used accurately. The writer has
some knowledge of the passive voice but this is used incorrectly with the verbs ‘increase’
and ‘decrease’. In addition there are some punctuation mistakes.

In conclusion, this answer does not fully address the task. Some key points are missing, and
the overall conclusion is not clear.

A sample IELTS Academic Writing Task 2

Here is a sample IELTS Academic Writing Task 2.
How would you answer this? Write some notes in the comments below. As before, you
don’t need to write a full answer – just some ideas for how you can organise your answer
and what you can put in each paragraph. You can download a pdf of the task below.

In the next step, we will look at a sample answer for this task, and some comments from a
Cambridge English IELTS expert.

Task 2 sample answer and examiner's

comments
Read this student’s response to the Task 2 in the previous step. Then read the examiner’s
comments on what this student has done well and how they could improve. Think about
how the examiner’s comments relate to the assessment criteria we saw in Step 1.6.
You can read the student’s original handwriting here and here.
Examiner’s comments

Task 2

On the whole this response answers the question well. The main ideas are relevant but some
ideas could be further expanded with examples. Sometimes the writer’s view is not clear.

In the introduction to the essay the topic is presented effectively in the writer’s own words.
The writer goes on to present three advantages of studying abroad. In each case the idea is
developed well with a supporting sentence. Then the writer presents the disadvantages. The
reference to lack of family support is relevant, and is developed effectively. However, the
writer’s position on using a foreign language is less clear. It is presented in a positive way
under advantages, and in a negative way under disadvantages. The conclusion is very brief.
It could be more fully developed, for example, by highlighting the fact that students will
face the issues relating to studying abroad in different ways. The response is written in an
appropriate essay format and is just within the word count.

The ideas are well organised so that the writing is easy to follow. Each of the four
paragraphs has a clear function (introduction; advantages of studying abroad;
disadvantages; and conclusion). The writer moves from point to point in a logical way.
Within each paragraph the sentences are linked together well. The writer uses linking words
effectively, for example, to present contrasting ideas (‘on the one hand’; ‘on the other
hand’); to sequence (‘firstly’; ‘secondly’; ‘thirdly’; (‘in conclusion’); and to rephrase (‘in
other words’). However, sometimes the linking between ideas is not so clear. For example,
one sentence reads ‘In the job market where the competition is very high it could be a good
point for the first employment’. In this sentence the reader is not sure what the pronoun ‘it’
refers to.

The writer has a good range of vocabulary and expresses ideas clearly. The writer shows
knowledge of the way that words combine together in phrases: for example ’family
network’; ‘self-sufficient’; ‘demanding process’; ‘critical problem’; and ‘a sense of
isolation and frustration’. However, sometimes the words do not go together appropriately,
eg ‘jobs opportunities’, ‘drawbacks occ[o]ur’, ‘ability of communication’, ‘their study’s
preferences’.

When writing about the disadvantages of studying abroad the writer shows an ability to use
words and phrases which have similar meaning, ie ‘some disadvantages’ … ‘one critical
problem’ … ‘another obstacle[s]’. This adds variety to the writing and helps the writer to
express exact meanings. Spelling is generally accurate with one or two minor mistakes.

The writer shows a good control of sentence structure and an ability to produce complex
sentences accurately. There are occasionally minor mistakes with errors relating to the use
of articles, eg ‘to learn second language’ when it should be ‘a second language’. There is
also a problem with prepositions, eg ‘out of [a] protected environment’ (should be ‘away
from’). The word ‘another’ is followed by a plural word when it should be singular:
‘another obstacle[s]’. In general the writer shows a good control of grammar and there are
few errors.
Presenting information is a very important part of answering Task 1. The information needs to be
both accurate and easily understood by the reader.

Sorry! Task achievement focusses on identifying the key information required to complete the task
successfully. Try looking again at the examiner’s comments in

It is important to study the information given on the graph carefully.

Well done! In Task 1 you must use the information on the charts to support your answer.

Linking words and phrases are useful to connect ideas in paragraphs and between paragraphs. Try
to build up as wide a range as possible.

Well done! Using things like linking words to effectively connect your points or ideas is a key
feature of Coherence and Cohesion.

When writing the response you should not move away from the question asked in the task.

Well done! A successful response will keep to the topic in the question.

You must aim to use a variety of grammatical structures accurately in your writing.

Well done! The examiner has identified an error with the candidate’s grammatical accuracy.

As you learn new words always make sure you learn both the meaning and the spelling.

Well done! Correct spelling is a feature of Lexical Resource.

You should learn how words go together appropriately so that you can use them in your
writing.

Well done! Knowing how words go together is part of having a good range of vocabulary
and is included under Lexical Resource.

There are different instruction words for Task 2 questions. Some questions instruct you to
agree or disagree. Others may ask you if something is a positive or negative development.
You could also be asked to discuss two views and give your own opinion. It is very
important to read the question words carefully so you know how to plan your answer.

Well done! In this question the writer has to look at the positive and negative sides of a
situation.

In Task 1 you will be presented with information. You should describe that information,
highlight the main points and make any comparisons. You should not give your own
opinion when answering a Task 1 question.

Well done! In Task 1 you may see information presented in various ways. These include
maps, plans and process diagrams, as well as charts, graphs and tables. You should study
these different ways of presenting information.

How can you improve your writing?

Now you have seen some IELTS Academic Writing tasks, and you understand how IELTS
examiners assess writing. So how can you improve your own writing?

Of course, the answer to this question is different for each learner. But here are three pieces
of advice that we think are very important. These are things that you can keep in mind as
you study and prepare for the test.

Understand your own strengths and weaknesses

In this course we show you how your skills are assessed in the IELTS test. We hope you
will use this information to help you understand your own strengths and weaknesses, and
how you can improve.

This week we have seen the assessment criteria that are used in IELTS Academic Writing.
Try to use these to check and improve your own writing. Ask yourself questions like:

 Have you answered the question fully?

 Is everything you have written relevant?
 Is it easy to follow your writing?
 Did you use a good range of vocabulary and grammar?

You can find more questions like this in this pdf. If you want to go into more detail, use the
IELTS band descriptors for Task 1 and Task 2. You may want to ask your teacher to help
you with this. Which descriptors do you think match your writing? Look at the band you
are aiming for – what do you need to do to get there?
Understand what you need to write

This is important advice for writing in general as well as in IELTS. To prepare for the test,
make sure you understand exactly what you will need to do. We talked about this in Step
1.5, and you can find out more on the IELTS website. When you’re taking a test, make sure
you read the question carefully and understand exactly what you’re being asked.

When you’re writing in the ‘real world’ and not in a test, you need to make sure you
understand who you’re writing for and the purpose of your writing.

And you also need to be aware of the style of your writing. The style of English for an
email to a friend is very different to an academic essay. Later this week, we will learn more
about academic English and how people use written English at university.

Think of writing as a process

When you write, you need to do several different things, including the following:

 Think of ideas and decide what you are going to write

 Plan and organise your writing
 Write
 Check your writing, and maybe change or improve it.

In the test, make sure you plan your writing before you begin – think about what will be in
each paragraph. Then allow time for checking and improving your writing at the end.

And if you do some writing for homework, think of your first complete draft as the start of
the process, not the end. Read your writing, think how you can improve it, ask other
learners and your teacher for advice, then try to make your writing better.

Improving your writing is not quick or easy, but we think you will be more successful if
you can take charge of the process, and be aware of your own learning.

How is English used in academic writing?

Little words, big words

There are people who have collected large amounts of language in order to learn more
about how we use language. Some of their findings can be quite unexpected. Let’s see what
we can learn from their work.

Below is an activity for you to complete. For each word given, decide if it’s used more in
university, outside university, or equally in and out of university.

Used more in Used equally inside and Used more outside

university outside university

however

know

elephant

in other
words

The words used more often in university than outside of it are however and in other words.
The word used more often outside university is elephant.
Is this surprising for you?

Often, when people think of academic language, they think of ‘big words’ – words made up
of many letters and syllables, for example technical terms. In fact, if you look at the
evidence, the words that are used more in university than outside of it are the ‘little words’
like however and therefore. We call these words discourse markers, because they help to
arrange our ideas and show the relationships between them.

It is true that you need to learn some of the big words, but these will differ depending on
what subject you are studying. On the other hand, you will need to learn to use discourse
markers well whatever subject you’re studying. So if you want to improve your writing,
you need to spend some time working on these little words.

Here are some discourse markers. What do you think they have in common?

First of all
On the other hand
In my opinion
All in all

A researcher named Milton found out that English learners use these discourse markers too
often compared to textbooks and scientific articles. With that in mind, can you think of
other words you can use in their place?

Here’s another list of discourse markers:

In this case
It can be seen that
An example of this is
This is not to say that

According to Milton, these are discourse markers that sometimes appear in scientific
articles, but are never used by English learners. Can you think of when it might be
appropriate to use these?

There are many discourse markers, and they each do something different. On the other
hand tells your reader that the next thing you say will be the opposite of what you have just
said. An example of this, for its part, is not used to contradict but to provide support to a
point you have made. This is not to say that is good for clarifying what you mean and don’t
mean.

Now that you have read this article, why not reread it and pick out all the discourse markers
I have used? What is each one helping me to do? You may also want to try writing an essay
using the new discourse markers you have learned. Then, in the comments below, share
what you’ve written, what you’ve discovered or what you find challenging, so we can all
learn from one another.
Over to you – Writing Task 1
Now you can try to put what you’ve learned into practice, by trying a Writing task yourself.

Here is the task.

Type your response to this in the comments below. Give yourself a time limit of 20
minutes. Remember to allow enough time to read the information, plan your writing
carefully to make sure you cover the main points, then check your writing when you have
finished, remembering how IELTS writing is assessed.
We won’t be able to check everyone’s writing examples, but our Educators will make some
comments below. Have a look and see if they could apply to you too. You can also
comment on other people’s examples.

How’s my writing?
Now you have the chance to practise using the IELTS Academic Writing assessment
criteria to find ways to improve some writing.

Imagine your friend or classmate has shown you the piece of writing below, and they have
asked you to help improve it. It’s an answer to the task you saw in Step 1.15.

How could this writing be improved? What has the writer done well?

Here is the original handwriting.

Use what you’ve learned this week to help you, and write some comments below. Please be
friendly – this writing was written by a real person, and that person may read your
comments!

When you come back next week, we’ll show you an examiner’s comments on this writing.

What was the band score?

Last week in Step 1.18 you wrote comments on a sample Writing Task 1 answer. As
promised, in this step there are some comments from an examiner.

When you’re done reading, click the ‘Mark as Complete’ button and move on to Step 2.2,
where Nuria will tell you more about the topic for this week: the Speaking test.

Examiner’s comments

Task 1b

This response is generally satisfactory. The writer highlights key points, and makes suitable
comparisons. However, these points could be developed more fully. The writer makes a
satisfactory comparison of pasta with potatoes. Then the writer gives information about
rice. However, the writer fails to compare information relating to rice with the other foods.

In the answer, the writer uses data to support the description of the graph. However, the
writer’s description is not always accurate. The first sentence of the second paragraph is not
correct. Pasta was not the most widely used food until 1986. In addition, the consumption
of rice was at its peak at 300gr at the start of the period, 1976. It reached its lowest point
(not peak) in 2000.

The answer is organised in a logical way with an introduction, main body and conclusion.
The second paragraph contains all the main points but some of the sentences are quite long.
The first sentence of the introductory paragraph would be easier to follow if it was divided
into two sentences. There are some signal words such as ‘in conclusion’. However, there
could be more linking words, especially when the writer moves from discussing one food to
another.

The writer has a wide enough knowledge of vocabulary to respond to the task. However, at
one point the writer does not use his or her own words: the words ‘potatoes, pasta and rice
eaten by a European country between 1976 and 2006’ have been taken directly from the
question.

There are occasional spelling mistakes and the handwriting sometimes presents difficulties
for the reader – ‘pasta was peutin? popular’. However, on the whole the spelling mistakes
do not prevent communication.
The writer shows a range of vocabulary to describe trends and patterns, but there are some
errors in the writing. The phrase ‘the trend in grams’ is not accurate. The trend has to be
defined – in this case it is trends in consumption. Other words and phrases that are
inaccurately used include ‘it used to be erratic’. This should be ‘it fluctuated’. ‘Peak’ has
been used in the wrong context – peak is a high point rather than a low point. ‘Returned to
rise’ should be ‘rose again’.

In this response, the writer shows a varied range of grammatical structures and a mix of
tenses. Although there are occasional errors these do not prevent communication.

One error in use of tenses is in the use of the present perfect tense to describe a period in
the past (1976–2006). The writer uses the present perfect tense incorrectly. ‘Has fell’ is
incorrectly formed – the past participle should be ‘fallen’ and in any case the simple past
tense ‘fell’ should be used. Similarly ‘doubled’ should be used instead of ‘has doubled’.

The contracted form ‘it’s’, has been used (‘it’s clear’, and ‘it’s possible’) However, these
words should be written in full in a formal piece of writing.

The verb ‘used to’ (‘used to be erratic’) is used incorrectly. It should be ‘was erratic’.

Generally, however, in this answer sentence structure is well controlled and the message
can be understood without difficulty.

What does 'speaking well' mean?

We all want to speak well. But what does this mean exactly?

If we want to measure how good someone is at running 100 metres, it’s quite easy – we just
need a watch.

But how do we judge how good someone is at speaking English? That’s not so easy.

What exactly do you think ‘speaking well’ means?

Go to the discussion below, and tell us what you think.

Then find another learner’s comments that are interesting, and reply to them.

How do examiners assess speaking?

Watch Gad, with Jill Cosh, talking to Nuria about how IELTS Speaking is assessed.
Remember that the things the examiners are looking for are the same as the things that
make good spoken communication outside the test. So the way to do your best in IELTS
Speaking is to show the examiner that you can communicate effectively in English.

Look at the downloads at the bottom of the page. One of these is the Band Descriptors that
Gad mentions, and the other is a simple guide to the Speaking assessment criteria.

The pdf ‘How is the Speaking paper assessed?’, and many other resources in this course,
come from the Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS from Cambridge University Press
and Cambridge English Language Assessment.