Post on 08-Dec-2015
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INTRODUCTION TO THE IELTS WRITING TEST FORMAT
The Academic Writing part of the IELTS Test take 60 minutes and consists of two written tasks. Task 1 (20 minutes) is a description report of 150 words based on graphic or pictorial input. Task 2 (40 minutes) is an extended piece of writing essay of 250 words. Candidates are presented with a given point of view or problem on which to base their writing.
Exercise 1: Graphs Main Idea
The graph shows US sports players’ salaries in dollars.
In 1970, baseballers earned $125,000 a year, footballers’ salaries averaged $99,000 a year, and basketball players earned about $43,000 annually.
The important points – beginnings, endings, sudden changes, low points, high points, trends, averages, differences between lines, differences over time.
Write down the main idea based on the graph above!
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Exercise 2: Writing the Description
Complete the main body of the report by filling in the gaps with approprate expression base on the graph below.
Basketball
Baseball
Football
Passengers at a London Underground Station
The graph shows the ____________ in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day.
The ____________ of the day is in the morning. There is a ____________ between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o'clock. After this the numbers ____________ 200 at 10 o'clock. Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with a ____________ of just under 300 people using the station.
In the afternoon, numbers ____________, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm. There is then ____________ to a ____________ of 380 at 6pm. After 7 pm, numbers fall ____________, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, ____________ after 9 pm.
____________, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods.
Graphs: Vocabulary
Movement (Verbs): Up
Rose Went up Increased Grew Shot up Surged Rocketed
Movement (Verbs): Down
Fell Declined Dropped Decreased Sank Went down
Plunged Plummeted
Adverbs and intensifiers
slightly a little a lot sharply suddenly steeply gradually gently steadily
No Movement: (Verbs with Adjectives, Verbs)
remained steady were unchanged did not change remained constant remained stable stabilized
Tops and Bottoms
reached a peak peaked reached their
highest level fell to a low sank to a trough reached a bottom
Exercise 3: IELTS report, topic: Double line graph describing the birth rate in China and the USA
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
The graph below compares the changes in the birth rates of China and the USA between 1920 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
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USA
China