IELTS Writing Task 1 #145

IELTS Writing Task 1 Review

What information is Writing Task 1 based on?

Data presented as a table, graph (bar or pie chart) or a diagram.

How do you have to express the information?

Concisely and accurately.

Does it matter whether you use an informal style?

You should not use an informal style; you should write in a formal and academic style.

Are grammar, spelling and punctuation tested?

Yes, you should make sure you use a range of grammatical structures and try to be accurate.

How long should you spend on this task?

About 20 minutes.

How many words must you write?

At least 150.

Which parts of the data must you write about?

The most important or noticeable features, trends or points.

Should you make comparisons?

Yes, when appropriate.

What should you draw attention to and interpret?

Features of the data.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below gives information about student enrolments at Manchester University in 1937, 1967 and 2017.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

 Model answer
In the table we can see information about the numbers of students enrolling at Manchester University in the three years, 1937, 1967 and
2017. It compares the percentages of females and males, and also students from abroad and those from within 40 miles of the city.

The most noticeable changes concern the overall growth of student numbers, from 327 in 1937 to 6254 in 2017, and the proportions of local
students, who constituted 55% of the total in 1937, but only 1-2% in 2017.

It is surprising to note that the percentage of female enrolments did not rise steadily, but dropped between 1937 and 1967. However, at the
same time, the percentage of the student population who came from abroad remained almost unchanged between 1937 and 1967, being 6%
and 7% respectively, but rose markedly after that, so that by 2017 foreign students represented 32% of the total.

(150 words)
IELTS Writing module overview
The Writing module consists of two tasks that must be completed in a total of 60 minutes.

You are given one answer sheet for both Task 1 and Task 2 answers. It does not matter where on the answer sheet you write your answers.
You can start with Task 1 and do Task 2 afterwards, or start with Task 2 and do Task 1 afterwards.

You may write your essay in pen or pencil. Pencil is recommended as it is tidier to make amendments.

Task 1 carries one-third of the marks, and Task 2 carries two-thirds of the marks. As such, you should give yourself 20 minutes for Task 1
and 40 minutes for Task 2.

You must complete both tasks in full sentences and paragraphs - do not answer in a list of notes or bullet points.

You should write in a formal, neutral tone, and only include information that is directly relevant to the task.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In some countries it is thought advisable that children begin formal education at four years old, while in others they do not have to
start school until they are seven or eight.

How far do you agree with either of these views?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample answer
In some parts of the world, parents encourage their children to begin studying while they are still toddlers, using a variety of books and
computer games which teach them to count or to learn their letters. The parents choose a first school for their four-year-old which focuses on
academic ability in order that, by the time they enter the next school, the children are well ahead of their age group, with high marks in
important subjects such as maths and language, or are equipped to take competitive entrance examinations for other schools if that is
relevant.

In other countries, children are at home or playschool until they are around seven years old. They do not even begin to study reading until
then, but they listen to and tell stories, they paint and draw, they make models and build tree houses, they swim and play ball games, they
keep fish and grow plants in the playschool garden.

In my opinion, the question is not which method produces the most able students, because all over the world, the majority of those who
reach university do so at around the same age, wherever they are educated. A brilliant scientist from one country may be working in a
laboratory alongside an equally brilliant scientist from another country and the educational start of each career may have been in complete
contrast. Therefore, it is clear that the two approaches can both produce able academics, all other things being equal. Nevertheless, it is
probable that one method is preferable to the other.

It seems to me that spending early childhood struggling to acquire academic skills in a competitive atmosphere is not the best way to
produce a balanced personality. Learning through play and developing social skills equips a child for adult life in essential ways that the
competitive parents neglect. If the child has academic ability, this will manifest itself as the child develops and does not need to be forced at
an early age.

(329 words)