Guide on IELTS general writing task 1
IELTS general writing task 1
This article is meant to help you in the IELTS General Writing Task 1. Task 1, which requires candidates to write at least 150 words and students are expected to be spent about 20 minutes on it. Candidates are evaluated according to their results, depending on the proposed task. You can use the question as a ready-made response plan, write a few sentences for each bullet point in the question, and have a well-structured answer that covers the task response criteria.
Types of letters
Test-takers will give 20 minutes to the IELTS General Writing Task 1, which allows candidates to write one of three different types of letters:
1. Formal letter
This sort of style of writing is used when writing to people that we don’t know or have never met. Common examples of such types of letters include those that accompany job applications, or, for example, to a government office.
2. Semi-formal letter
This sort of writing style is used when writing to people we may associate well, but not used with close friends. Individuals can also use it you have a professional relationship with, as well. Common examples include writing a letter to your employer or a former University professor.
3. Informal Letter
This sort of writing style is used for individuals, including friends or family, whom we know well. The language used in this letter will be the most informal and common of the three letter forms. This writing approach is sometimes referred to as ‘ personal style’. Types include giving your best friend condolences or writing a letter to a member of your family informing about an event or anything.
IELTS General writing task 1 scoring criteria
In this section, you will understand how to achieve a high score by understanding what examiners are looking for and how they are granting or deducting points.
General writing task 1 scoring criteria:-
- Task Achievement
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The score for IELTS Task 1 is then divided by four points into all four sections, which is the score of your general IELTS task 1.
IELTS General Writing task 1 tips
The General Training Task 1 test continues to follow the same structure as IELTS writing task. The scenario will be presented to you, and then you will be asked to write about three bullet points..
Here are some useful tips to help you quickly ease the general writing task 1.
1. Identify the type of letter
The question paper will provide the different type of letter writing questions. You need to identify yourself as to which type of letter it is? Whether it is formal, semi-formal, or informal? Your letter’s entire tone is focused upon your answer to this question. Adapt the style and word choice to match the type of letter you were asked to write.
2. Open and close the letter correctly in IELTS general writing task 1
Remember, every letter type requires a different opening and closing. The following chart will help to remind you:
| Style | Characteristic | Opening | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal | You haven't met someone whose name you don't know |
Dear sir/madam | Yours faithfully |
| Semi-formal | You might or might not have met someone whose last name you know & use |
Dear Watson, Dear Ms Stone |
Yours sincerely |
| Informal | To someone, you know well who you know and use the first name |
Dear mike, Dear john |
Best regards Warm wishes |
3. dentify the main purpose of the letter
You ask for help, apologies, invite someone, complain, or thank someone? Learn the right and polite phrases to support what you need to say. By proper practice, the form and intent of the letter given will be easy to identify.
4. Understand and use written standard expressions
Sometimes the students struggle to complete their writing in time. It happens when you try to write from scratch every single sentence. The truth is we use a number of standard words and phrases in traditional letter writing in English and add to them the specific information that we wish to communicate. You will find the letter-writing process much simpler by learning how to use these words, and you will never have to compete for the time
5. Write at least 150 words in IELTS general writing task 1
Practice writing letters about 150 words before the exam. When you write less, you’ll lose points. When you write more, you will not lose marks; the only limitation on writing more is in terms of time, not word count.
6. Learn to spell commonly used words correctly
Many IELTS students make a mistake when they spell words like “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in combination with” and so on. You will save yourself from losing important points by knowing the correct spelling of those words and expressions that you are most likely to use on your exam.
7. Include all three bullet points in IELTS general writing task 1
Unless you covered even one of the points you are given in the prompt question. You will lose valuable marks. Practice writing letters, which include the three points, and go back to check that you’ve included them in any practice you do.
8. Stay relevant to topic
To complete your letter within 20 minutes or less, practice writing letters where you stick to the target time. The General IELTS Task 1 need you to make up a bit of a story to complete your message, but do not make your story so complex that it consumes your time.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed how to crack the general writing task 1, which includes an overview, different letter types, and IELTS writing tips. This article is meant to help you with the Writing Task 1 of the IELTS General test.
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