IELTS General Training Writing

Writing is one of the four sections in the IELTS test. The IELTS writing task will appear in both Academic and General tests. In the IELTS General Training Writing section, you will have to complete two questions - 1. write a letter; 2. Write an essay. The questions asked in this module will be from general sources like books, magazines, and guidelines. 

The IELTS General Training Writing has two tasks - Task 1 and Task 2. Each task carries a different weightage, time limit and word limit. The total time allotted for completion of the IELTS writing task is 1 hour. Let us get to know each task, the types of questions and how to attempt each question using the tips and sample questions given here.

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IELTS General Writing Task

There are 2 IELTS General Writing Tasks. In the IELTS General Writing Task 1, you have to write a letter to someone based on the situation given in the question. For IELTS Writing Task 2, you will be asked to write an essay in response to an argument, problem or opinion. Task 2 is the same for IELTS academic and general writing. In total you get 60 minutes to complete both the tasks.

IELTS General Writing task 1: Letter Writing

For the IELTS General Writing task 1, you will be given a situation where you are required to write a letter to the person mentioned in the question. Based on the situation, the structure and format of the letter will change. You get 20 minutes to complete writing the letter and have to write a minimum of 150 words. IELTS General Writing task 1 consists of 30% of your writing score.

Types of IELTS General Writing task 1 Letters

There are three types of letter writing in the IELTS General Writing task 1: 

1. IELTS general writing task 1 Informal letter
2. IELTS general writing task 1 Formal letter
3. IELTS general writing task 1 Semi-formal letter

Click the links above and get detailed information about each IELTS General Writing task 1 letters.

IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips

Follow these IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips so that you can improve your score in letter writing.

• Follow the instructions given in the question.
• Find out what type of letter you have to write.
• Identify the purpose of the letter.
• Give a proper salutation in the beginning
• Convey the purpose clearly
• Tell the reader clearly what you want from them.
• Close the letter with a proper valediction.
• Use good vocabulary and lexical resources.
• Be careful with the grammar and spelling mistakes while writing.
• Be aware of the structure of the letter.

Find more IELTS General Writing Task 1 Tips and strategies here in detail.

IELTS General Writing task 2: Essay Writing 

For the IELTS General Writing task 2, you should write an essay as a response to an argument, opinion or discussion topic given in the question. In the IELTS general test, the essay will be less formal. You have to write a minimum of 250 words in 40 minutes in the IELTS General Writing task 2. This task has twice the weightage of marks when compared to task 1. 

Types of IELTS General Writing task 2 Essays 

There are different IELTS General Writing task 2 Essay types like:

1. IELTS writing task 2 agree disagree essay
2. IELTS writing task 2 advantages disadvantages essay
3. IELTS writing task 2 double questions essay
4. IELTS writing task 2 problem and solution essay
5. IELTS writing task 2 discuss both views essay

Check out the links above and to see how to write each type of IELTS General Writing task 2 Essays.

IELTS General Writing Task 2 Tips

Here are some IELTS General Writing Task 2 Tips you can use while writing the essay.

• Only use sentences that are relevant to the question
• Address all parts of the question
• Organise the essay logically
• Use linking words and clear progression while writing the paragraphs
• Learn the structure of the essay.
• Write a clear introduction
• Use supporting examples in the paragraphs
• Use good vocabulary and lexical resources
• Check your grammar and spelling
• Understand the various marking criteria

If you want to learn to write the essay in detail check out the IELTS General Writing Task 2 Tips.

IELTS General Writing task 2 topics 

The essay questions are mostly asked based on the IELTS General Writing task 2 topics. 

1. Government and Society
2. Food and Diet
3. Crime and Punishment
4. Happiness
5. Globalization
6. Language and culture
7. Media and Advertisement
8. Environment
9. Sports
10. Education
11. Law and Order
12. Family and Children
13. Science and technology
14. Business and Money
15. Work
16. Space Exploration
17. Health and Fitness
18. Job and Employment
19. Leisure
20. Art
21. Tourism and Travel

Find questions related to each IELTS General writing task 2 topics here.

IELTS General Writing Samples

Now that you have enough understanding about the Writing modules, you can start practising some IELTS General Writing Samples now. Below you will find a sample question for task 1 letter writing and for task 2 essay writing. The sample answer is also given to help you get an idea of the writing tasks.

IELTS General Letter Writing Sample with answers

The IELTS General Letter Writing Sample with answer is given below.  

Question:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You recently stayed in a hotel in a large city. The weather was very unusual for the time of year and the heating/cooling system in the hotel was quite inadequate.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter:

give details of what went wrong
explain what you had to do to overcome the problem at the time
say what action you would like the manager to take
You should write at least 150 words.

You need NOT write your own address.

Begin your letter with, 
Dear __________

Sample Answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I happened to stay at your hotel last week as part of visiting the city. I am writing this letter to bring to your notice about the failure of the cooling system in the room that I stayed in. 

I stayed in room no. 624 which is supposed to be an air-conditioned room. After I checked into the hotel I noticed that the AC didn't work well. Suffering from the hot weather I made multiple complaints at the reception but no one came to check the issue. Due to high temperature in the room, I had to finally ask for a different room in the middle of the night as I was unable to sleep. 

The experience of staying at your hotel for one night was excruciating. I feel your hotel has to take customer service seriously and make the stay pleasant for them. I believe you will make up for the bad experience I had from your hotel, when I come there next time.

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,
Mark.

Download IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Sample with Answer PDF

IELTS General Writing Task 2 Essay Sample with answer

The IELTS General Writing Task 2 Essay Sample with answer is given here.

Question:

Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample Answer:

Some people think that children should have a competitive mindset between them. Others think that children must help each other instead of competing with each other to become good human beings.

People who believe that children should have a competitive mindset think that those children will be able to perform better in difficult situations compared to others. Their brains learn to survive in a tough situations helping in the development of their mental capabilities. For example, there is a study from Howard University that shows that children who studied in a competitive environment gave better results in exams than the students who studied alone. So it is important for children to learn to survive in a group.

But, people who think children who help each other instead of rivalling each other become better people. If they are able to avoid competition they together can work for the good of everyone else. People will be happy for each and there will be no sorrow as there won't be any losers since there is no competition between each. Everyone will be happy for each other's achievements. A study in Norway has shown that the helping mentality among the people has brought better results to the country as a whole. 

To conclude, I feel that the second approach is good for everyone because such a mindset is good for humanity and the betterment of the society as a whole. The idea of helping each other is beneficial for a person individually and thus for the nation too.

Click the IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample to get more practice questions and their answers.

Download IELTS General Training Writing Task 2 Sample with Answer PDF

Download Free Online IELTS General Training Writing Practice Test PDF with Answers 

Instructions to Candidates for IELTS General Writing Test

There are some instructions given to the candidates during the IELTS General Writing Test. Check these instructions carefully and be prepared in advance.

• Don't open the question paper unless told
• Write your name and candidate number in the spaces provided
• Read the instructions carefully before writing
• Attempt both the tasks.
• Write minimum 150 words for task 1
• Write minimum 250 words for task 2
• Write the answers in the booklet given
• Write in a legible manner with pen or pencil.

For getting a good score in the IELTS General Writing Test, it is advised to follow these instructions properly. To score a band 8 and above understand the IELTS 

Conclusion

This article has given an overall picture to the candidates practicing the IELTS General Writing tasks. You can learn more about the IELTS writing module from the links given in the respective sections. Use the given sample questions to check whether you are able to complete the IELTS General Writing tasks properly in time.

FAQ

1. How can I get 8 in IELTS writing general?

Give a relevant answer and attend to all parts of the question. Use clear progression and linking phrases and write logically. Divide the writing into paragraphs and use less common vocabulary. Don't make spelling and grammar mistakes.

2. How can I practice for IELTS general writing?

Prepare for both the tasks. Practice writing a letter using at least 150 words and the essay with at least 250 words. Finish writing in the allotted time. Learn the vocabulary and structure needed for the IELTS general writing.

3. How can I write an IELTS letter in general writing?

Identify what type of letter you have to write and the purpose of the letter. Use a proper opening and closing for the letter. Divide the letter into paragraphs.

4. What is writing task 2 in IELTS general?

IELTS general writing task 2 is a question where you will write an essay in response to a statement, discussion or argument. You have to finish the essay in 40 minutes using a minimum of 250 words.

5. What are the marking criteria for IELTS general writing?

Task Achievement (TA), Coherence and Cohesion (CC), Lexical Resource (LR) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) are the four marking criteria for IELTS general writing.

6. How many tasks are there in the IELTS general writing? 

There are 2 tasks in the IELTS general writing. Task 1 is to write a letter in at least 150 words where you get 20 minutes to complete. Task 2 is essay writing where you get 40 minutes to write an essay in at least 250 words.

7. How much time is required to complete the writing tasks? 

The total time given to complete the IELTS general writing task is 1 hour. In this you have to complete task 1 in 20 minutes and task 2 in 40 minutes.