Mastering the IELTS Writing Part: Pen your way to Success!

Hey Writing Wizards, So you are gearing up for the IELTS, and the Writing part has got you wondering? Fear not! I'm here to demystify the process and help you unleash your writing Prowess. Let's dive right in!

Unraveling the IELTS Writing Part: What's the Buzz?

Alright, let's start from square one. The writing Part is all about showcasing your ability to express yourself effectively in writing English. It's like a conversation but with a pen (or a Keyboard). The exam has two parts. About 20 minutes for the part one and 40 minutes for the part two. Part one will change slightly according to the stream you choose. In General IELTS part one is about writing a letter but in Academic IELTS you will have to write a short report. I'm going to focus on Academic IELTS  cause that's what is needed for Nurses.

The Two Sides of The Coin:

Now, let's break it down into two parts:

1. Task One: The snapshot

Imagine you're looking at a snapshot. You will be given a visual, Like a graph or a chart, and you'll have to summarize the information in a report. It's like being a storytelling detective. The following types of questions will be in task one,

1. Graphs ( Bar, Line, Pie )
2. Tables
3. Maps
4. Mix Charts
5. Process Diagrams

2. Task Two: The Essay

This is where you get to flex your opinion Muscles. You will be given a statement or question, and you need to write an essay discussing the topic. It's like having a friendly debate but on paper! There are a few types of questions there,

1. Agree Disagree
2. What is your opinion about this
3. Positive or Negative development
4. Discuss Both Views
5. The advantages outweigh the Disadvantages
6. What are the advantages and the Disadvantages
7. Double Questions

Okay, I'm going to talk about these two-part in detail in the future but for now, I'll give you some tips to start your studies,

Top Tips for Writing Wizardy:

First of all, you need to get yourself familiar with these questions. To do that you need to find some proper sample answers. Now I know there are so many samples answered on the internet but not all of them are good. Here I will attach another website where you can find good sample essays for all the types of questions. You can go there and read those essays and get a good idea. This will make it easy for you to start writing your own essay. Please don't underestimate writing exams because you might end up getting a low band score. 

Plan Your Essay: Don't just jump into it and start writing. Take a few minutes and plan ahead your response. Outline your main points and the structure of your essay or report.

Follow a basic Structure: This should be able to be used for all types of essays. I used the following structure because it was the best for my way of writing you can use it or build up your own. What is important is the essay should have a flow of information. It should not be messy.

    For Task One:

• Summarize the question
• Overview ( this is very important. State a main feature or the obvious feature of the given question.)
• In 2nd paragraph, you should describe that feature by explaining the numbers.
• In 3rd paragraph, describe a few other features with examples and try to include a comparison.
• You don't need to write a third paragraph but if you have points and time to spare you can.

    For Task Two: 

• Introductory paragraph ( Including the thesis statement and the examples you going to write and your opinion can be included here)   
• 1st detailed paragraph ( In this para I will include my idea no 1 and then explain it and give an example or two, last what is my opinion if they ask)
• 2nd detailed paragraph ( In this para I will follow the same pattern as 1st para)
• Summary ( In this para you should summarize your entire essay including the two points you mentioned and your overall opinion about this)

Stick to the Word Count: It's tempting to go overboard But stick to the word count. Quality over Quantity! and don't make it less either. You need to practice then you will know when to stop.

Balance is Key: In task 1, a balance between an overview and specific details. In task 2, present a balanced argument with both sides of the issue.

Time Management: Managing time is really important because you will only get about 60 minutes to complete both tasks my advice is to try to focus your time more on task 2 because it carries more marks and that's where you can show your writing skills more. Practice very well to balance time.

Polish up Your grammar: Of course, you just know basic grammar and some might even know more than that. you need to include a variety of grammatical structures in order to get a good band score. So make sure to practice grammar lessons as well.

Don't memorize answers: don't do this because the examiners will notice these things and you might lose all the points.

Read newspapers and watch some documentaries: this will give you good ideas and thoughts to tackle these questions.

Quality is the Key: So don't try and memorize so many big words. Try to use the English words you know without any errors or repetitions. This is much more effective than writing lots of words.

Stick around for more posts about IELTS writing where I will talk in detail about these tasks. For now, I'm going to end it here guys, and I'll write to you guys soon.

IELTS Essay Bank,

https://www.ieltsessaybank.com/

Cheers,

Hasitha Senarathna