TASK TWO
is an essay based on a topic given on the question paper. Candidates should
write at least 250 words in 40 minutes. The candidates are expected to
produce a written argument on a given topic and to organize your answer
clearly, given some examples to support your points. The candidates must
keep in mind that Task Two carries more weight in the final band score than
Task One. MAKS BELA IELTS Academic writing task 2 coaching supports the
candidate to present a clear, relevant, well-organized argument, giving
evidence or examples to support ideas and use language accurately.

IELTS General Writing description

Task 1

In IELTS General Writing Task 1, test takers are presented with a situation
and required to write a personal response in the form of an informal,
semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words in the answer booklet
provided. The situations they are asked to write about are common, everyday
ones such as writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with
accommodation, writing to a new employer about time management problems
they are having, writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a
local airport, writing to a renting agency to sort out problems with the
heating system in their house.

Test takers are told what kind of information (in the form of three bullet
points) they must include in their response. They may be required to
request or give information and/or explain a situation. To do this, they
may need to do some of the following: ask for and/or provide general
factual information, express needs, wants, likes or dislikes, express
opinions or complaints, make requests or make suggestions/recommendations.

The style of writing that test takers use depends on who they are asked to
write to (i.e. the audience) and how well they are supposed to know them.
They need to write in a style that is appropriate for their audience and
that will help them to achieve their purpose for writing, e.g. writing to a
friend (informal) or writing to a manager (semi-formal or formal). Test
takers do not need to include any addresses at the head of their letters.

Test takers should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. They are
asked to write at least 150 words and will be penalized if their answer is
too short. While test-takers will not be penalized for writing more than
150 words, they should remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that
they have less time to spend on Task 2, which contributes twice as much to
the Writing band score.

Test takers should also note that they will be penalized for irrelevance if
the response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g.
using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). They
will be severely penalized for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another
source).

 

What is tested?

This task assesses the ability to follow English letter-writing conventions
(i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start and
finish a letter), to use language accurately and appropriately and to
organize and link information coherently and cohesively.

Task 2

In Writing Task 2, test takers write a semi-formal/neutral discursive essay
of at least 250 words in the answer book provided.

The task instructions give information about a point of view, argument or
problem. They then tell test-takers how to discuss this, which may involve
providing general factual information, outlining and/or presenting a
solution, justifying an opinion, evaluating evidence and ideas.

Topics are of general interest, – such as: whether children’s leisure
activities should be educational, why families are not so close as they
used to be and how they could be brought closer, how environmental problems
can be solved, who should pay for the care of old people, whether smoking
should be banned in public places.

Test takers should make sure that they complete the task carefully and
provide a full and relevant response. They should organize their ideas
clearly and make sure to support their argument with relevant examples
(including from their own experience where relevant) or evidence. For this
task, test-takers need to be able to communicate more abstract and complex
ideas and use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Task 2
contributes twice as much to the final Writing band score as Task 1.
Therefore, test takers who fail to attempt to answer this task will greatly
reduce their chance of achieving a good score.

Test takers are asked to write at least 250 words and will be penalized if
their answer is too short. They should spend no more than 40 minutes on
this task.

Test takers should also note that they will be penalized for irrelevance if
the response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g.
using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). They
will be severely penalized for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another
source).

What is tested?

This task assesses the ability to follow English discursive writing
conventions (i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how
to start and finish discursive writing, how to paragraph), to organize and
link information coherently and cohesively and to use language accurately
and appropriately.

IELTS General Training Writing – How it’s marked

Marking and assessment

Writing responses are assessed by certificated IELTS examiners. All IELTS
examiners hold relevant teaching qualifications and are recruited as
examiners by the test centres and approved by the British Council or IDP:
IELTS Australia.

Each task is assessed independently. The assessment of Task 2 carries more
weight in marking than Task 1. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
Detailed performance descriptors have been developed which describe written
performance at the nine IELTS bands. They are available on the How IELTS is
scored page. The descriptors apply to both the Academic and General
Training versions and are based on the following criteria.

Task 1 responses are assessed on:

• Task achievement
• Coherence and cohesion
• Lexical resource
• Grammatical range and accuracy.

Task 2 responses are assessed on:

• Task response
• Coherence and cohesion
• Lexical resource
• Grammatical range and accuracy.

Task 1

Task achievement

This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the response
fulfils the requirements set out in the task, using a minimum of 150 words.
General Training Writing Task 1 is a writing task with a largely
predictable output in that each task sets out the context and purpose of
the letter and the functions the test taker should cover in order to
achieve this purpose.

Coherence and cohesion

This assesses the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the
response organizes and links information, ideas, and language. Coherence
refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers
to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical
connectors, pronouns, and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual
and referential relationships between and within sentences clear.

Lexical resource

This refers to the range of vocabulary the test takers have used and the
accuracy and appropriacy of use in terms of the specific task.

Grammatical range and accuracy

This refers to the range and accurate use of grammar, as manifested in the
test takers’ sentence writing.

Grammatical range and accuracy

This refers to the range and accurate use of grammar as manifested in their
sentence writing.

 

Task 2

Task response

In both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training versions, Task 2 requires
test takers to formulate and develop a position with a given prompt in the
form of a question or statement. Ideas should be supported by evidence, and
examples may be drawn from the test-takers’ own experience. Responses must
be at least 250 words in length. Scripts under the required minimum word
limit will be penalized.

Coherence and cohesion

This assesses the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the response organizes and links information, ideas, and language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical connectors, pronouns, and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and referential relationships between and within sentences clear.

Lexical resource

This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary used and its accuracy and appropriacy in terms of the specific task.

Grammatical range and accuracy

This assesses the range and accurate use of grammar, as manifested in their test takers&apos writing at the sentence level.