Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at short answer questions and sentence completion.
Short Answer Questions
Short answer questions in the test, will require you to write no more than a set number of words. You will probably be given a word limit, for example, ‘No more than two words and/or a number’. If you write more words than the instructions tell you to, your answer will be marked as incorrect. The short answers only need keywords, meaning you will not be able to write a sentence. These questions are there to see how well you can find specific information.
When you are answering short answer questions, underline/highlight the keywords that will help you to find the information you need. You can also underline any words that you think are suitable in relation to the information you need to find.
You also need to be aware of synonyms and paraphrasing – look for words that have the same meaning, don’t just look for words that are exactly the same.
Take a look at the examples below, the words in italics are what you need to find out, the key terms are in bold.
On which date was the medical research on asthma first published?
Which news article was eventually discussed by the media in more detail?
Read the following passage and answer the questions with no more than two words.
Approximately 90% of visually impaired people live in developing countries.
People aged 50 and over
About 65 % of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and older, while this age group comprises about 20 % of the world’s population. With an increasing elderly population in many countries, more people will be at risk of visual impairment due to chronic eye diseases and ageing processes.
Children below age 15
An estimated 19 million children are visually impaired. Of these, 12 million children are visually impaired due to refractive errors, a condition that could be easily diagnosed and corrected. 1.4 million are irreversibly blind for the rest of their lives and need visual rehabilitation interventions for a full psychological and personal development.
TIP >> When answering the question, use the keywords in bold to help you find the text and the word in italics to find the information you need for the answer.
TIP >> You must use the word limit stated in the instructions – DO NOT go over this.
Questions >>
How many people have sight problems over the age of 50?
How many young people have vision and sight problems?
Which situation can quickly be changed for the better in young children?
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Sentence Completion
Similar to short-answer questions, sentence completion questions are designed to assess your ability to find specific information. You will have to choose the right words or keywords from a text to complete a sentence. The words will be in the text and when you write them, they must be grammatically correct.
The sentence will paraphrase the information from the text, so you will have to use your knowledge of synonyms, underlining or highlighting any keywords and terms. Paraphrasing is a skill that is needed in all parts of the test.
Read the following passage and answer the questions with no more than one word.
Leishmaniasis is caused by a protozoa parasite from over 20 Leishmania species and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. Over 90 sandfly species are known to transmit Leishmania parasites. There are 3 main forms of the disease:
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar is fatal if left untreated in over 95% of cases. It is characterised by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anaemia. It is highly endemic in the Indian subcontinent and in East Africa. An estimated 50 000 to 90 000 new cases of VL occur worldwide each year. In 2015, more than 90% of new cases reported to WHO occurred in 7 countries: Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The kala-azar elimination programmes in South-East Asia are making sustained progress towards elimination, and cases are declining in the three major endemic countries: Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form of leishmaniasis and causes skin lesions, mainly ulcers, on exposed parts of the body, leaving life-long scars and serious disability. About 95% of CL cases occur in the Americas, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and Central Asia. Over two-thirds of new CL cases occur in 6 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Iran (The Islamic Republic of) and the Syrian Arab Republic. An estimated 0.6 million to 1 million new cases occur worldwide annually.
Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis leads to the partial or total destruction of mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat. Over 90% of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis cases occur in Bolivia (the Plurinational State of), Brazil, Ethiopia and Peru.
Questions >>
The disease is passed on to people from the poison carried by the ………………. Sandflies.
One strain of the disease can cause death if it is ………………………
Another strain of the disease can cause skin problems and ulcers, leaving people with marks and sometimes even a severe…………….
One of the deadliest strains of this disease attacks the …………………. membranes located in the upper part of the body.
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
REVIEW AND STRATEGY
The short answer questions and sentence completion questions are common in the IELTS Reading Test, therefore you should practice and develop a strategy for answering.
Short Answer Questions Strategy
TIP >> Read the instructions before you start to read the questions or the text.
TIP >> The answers will be in the same order as the questions.
TIP >> Check the word limit – make sure you do not go over it.
TIP >> Try to find the information byscanning quicklyuntil you locate the part of the text with the information you are looking for.
TIP >> Check your spelling, make sure you have spelt the word or words correctly.
TIP >> Look for any keywords and see how they may have been paraphrased in the questions. knowing and understanding paraphrasing and synonyms will help you to reach a high score over all parts of the IELTS test.
Sentence Completion Strategy
TIP >> Read the instructions beforeyou start to read the questions or the text. Check that you understand what you have to do.
TIP >> The answers will be in the same order as the questions.
TIP >> Check the word limit – make sure you do not go over it. How many words do you have to find?
TIP >> Read the incomplete sentences then try to find the missing words in the text by skim reading (scanning through it quickly).
TIP >> Check your spelling, make sure you have spelt the word or words correctly.
TIP >> Look for any keywords and see how they may have been paraphrased in the questions. knowing and understanding paraphrasing and synonyms will help you to reach a high score over all parts of the IELTS test.
Short Answer Questions >> Answers
about 65%
19 million
refractive errors
Sentence Completion Answers >>
female
untreated
disability
mucous
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at flowcharts, notes, tables, summaries and diagrams. It is very important that you will be able to >>
Understand information in flowcharts, diagrams and tables. These are used to give specific information for a fast analysis. In the test, you may have a table that you have to fill in, after finding the required information in an article.
Summaries and notes, a summary is a short review of something, you will often see this when looking for information about a book or movie, they will give you a short summary of what it is about. Notes can be in bullet form, with groups of words or single words, linked to a subject heading.
Read The Questions / Instructions
Before you start to read the information presented to you, first you must read the questions/instructions and think about the amount and type of information you can enter. If your answer does not follow the instructions given, then it will be marked as incorrect.
For example, you may be asked to;
Write no more than one word for each answer
Write no more than one word and/or a number for each answer
Write no more than two words for each answer
Write no more than three words for each answer
Finding Words In The Text
When reading information in a text you will be looking for specific information, that you can write onto a diagram, table or flowchart. This means you will use words that are in the text, paying close attention to the spelling. It is ok to copy words straight from the text, other forms of the word will be marked incorrect.
Read through the questions and skim read the text, can you answer the questions?
Dementia is a syndrome – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – in which there is deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. the ability to process thought) beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement. Consciousness is not affected. The impairment in cognitive function is commonly accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by deterioration in emotional control, social behaviour, or motivation.
Dementia is a ……………….. which is usually continuous and gradual.
It can affect many cognitive functions, including ………………………………, …………………., or ………………….
According to the notes, dementia sufferers …………………… is not damaged.
Dementia can affect the ability to remember, awareness, direction and ………………
Answers >> Are at the bottom of the page.
Flowcharts
A flowchart is a graphic that shows the events of a process, normally in sequence. In the IELTS test, the flowchart questions are similar to the notes questions, but with arrows to tell you the sequence. When you read through the given text, the information presented may not be in the order of the flowchart.
Take a look at the information below and see if you can find the one-word answers that are missing…..
Climate change
Over the last 50 years, human activities – particularly the burning of fossil fuels – have released sufficient quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to trap additional heat in the lower atmosphere and affect the global climate. In the last 130 years, the world has warmed by approximately 0.85oC. Each of the last 3 decades has been successively warmer than any preceding decade since 18501. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting and precipitation patterns are changing. Extreme weather events are becoming more intense and frequent.
Answers >> Are at the bottom of the page.
Diagrams
There are different types of diagrams that you may see, including labelling a plan, or a design. The other types could be something from the natural world or a technical drawing. You may also see a diagram, for example, to read a text about the human body and then label parts of the body, using one-word (or more) answers from the text.
You may have a diagram that requires labelling from a selection of words in a box, try to understand what is happening in the diagram and where those words would fit. On the other hand, you may have a diagram that relates to a text you have to read and locate information relating to the diagram. Make sure you check how many words you need to write in the spaces, as writing too many will lose marks. Start with the most obvious and move on, if you are finding information in a text, read through quickly and don’t waste time trying to read the whole text and understand it.
The information you will see in a table can be looked at quickly, by looking at the headings and the information in each row. The tables present information, for example, a timetable, exam results or in this case below, IELTS band scores.
Look at the table above, and see if you can answer the following questions >>
What do you need to score in listening to get a band score of 7?
What do you need to score in Academic reading to get a band score of 8?
What do you need to score in General Reading for a band score of 6?
Answers >> Are at the bottom of the page.
Summaries
A summary is a brief explanation of the main points on a topic. You will use and see many summaries all of the time, from reading what a movie is about or a book, you summarise the story or events. When you see a summary of the reading test, quickly highlight or underline the keywords and think about paraphrasing.
Asthma is a major non-communicable disease characterised by recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing, which vary in severity and frequency from person to person. Symptoms may occur several times in a day or week in affected individuals, and for some people become worse during physical activity or at night. During an asthma attack, the lining of the bronchial tubes swells, causing the airways to narrow and reducing the flow of air into and out of the lungs. Recurrent asthma symptoms frequently cause sleeplessness, daytime fatigue, reduced activity levels and school and work absenteeism. Asthma has a relatively low fatality rate compared to other chronic diseases.
Choose one word only for each answer.
The severity of Asthma varies in each person, some may have many …………. and others few.
Due to physical activities or in the evening, many sufferers say that they become…………….
When an attack happens, the air that flows into the lungs is restricted, with the ……………. becoming smaller.
Asthma does not cause many deaths in comparison to other ……………….. illnesses.
Answers >> Are at the bottom of the page.
REVIEW AND STRATEGY
The flowcharts, notes, tables, summaries and diagrams are common in the IELTS Reading Test, therefore you should practice and develop a strategy for answering.
TIP >> Read the instructions before you start reading the text. Make sure you understand the question.
TIP >> Study the diagram/flowchart and see how many words you need to write. For summaries, notes and tables, skim read and get the main idea.
TIP >> Highlight any keywords or labels you can see, then match them up if you see anything that stands out to you.
TIP >> Choose your answers carefully, be attentive to synonyms and paraphrasing and check your spelling.
Answers From All Exercises >>
Notes Answers >>
syndrome
deterioration in emotional control, social behaviour or motivation.
consciousness
comprehension
Flowchart Answers >>
carbon dioxide
decades
extreme
Diagram Answers >>
7. Spinal Nerve
8. Spinal Cord
9. Vertebra
10. Spinal Cord
Table Answers >>
33-35
36-37
26-30
Summary Answers >>
symptoms
worse
airways
chronic
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, and then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams, and online courses.
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The IELTS Reading Test lasts 60 minutes. It is made up of three parts, with a total of 40 questions. You are given no extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. During the test, the texts become more difficult.
In the General Training test, the texts are not academic, they are about daily life, for example – advertisements, reviews or ‘how to’ articles. You may read something about preparing for a job interview or a review of places to visit when going abroad.
In the Academic test, all three texts are of an academic tone, for instance – scientific research or a historical article. The articles in the Academic reading test may include research about medical procedures or the future of medicine, the environment and climate change issues.
What do you need to do?
Find specific information in the texts. You will be looking for information, such as dates, names, places and costs.
Finding the purpose of a text, looking at the reasons behind the writing. Why did the author write this? What is the purpose of it? To share an opinion? Many people when they write are expressing their views, selling something, sharing news, suggesting, recommending something or reviewing something.
Separating the main idea of an article apart from other ideas. In a long text, there will be the main idea, that is supported by other ideas. It will be good practice for you to read articles and select the main idea, as well as the point of each paragraph.
Following an argument, looking for both sides, the for and against. When you are reading a text, think about – What is the key argument? What statement is the author making? Are they sharing their opinion?
Understand information in diagrams and tables. These are used to give specific information for a fast analysis. In the exam, you may have a table that you have to fill in, after finding the required information in an article.
Summaries and notes, a summary is a short review of something, you will often see this when looking for information about a book or movie, they will give you a short summary of what it is about. Notes can be in bullet form, with groups of words or single words, linked to a subject heading.
The main features of the text, knowing where the title is, the subheadings, the images and the main body of the text is important.
Text length, can in the Academic test go well over 1000 words. This is why it is important to learn how to skim read and locate specific information. In the General Training test, the texts are shorter, but you will also have to be able to skim read.
Being able to paraphrase and recognise paraphrasing is also very important. Many of the texts will paraphrase words – the questions may paraphrase using different words with the same meaning. Always read the questions before you start reading through the text.
How Can You Practice?
There are many websites and texts out there for you to practice with, but day to day you should try and read articles from news websites, science journals, history and of course general interest.
Here are some links to websites with articles you may find interesting;
For more help on each skill you should practice before the reading test, please take a look at the other posts in the reading section.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Proven strategies for this IELTS Listening question type. Includes prediction techniques and common traps to avoid.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to write a formal letter.
A formal letter is written when you need to write to a company or organisation where you do not know the person to whom you are addressing. Sometimes these letters are addressed to a person of importance, who you do not know, in which case the person’s name and the title are used – ‘Dear Prime Minister May….’
A formal greeting > Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sirs, Dear HR Manager
When signing off the letter, ‘Yours truly’, ‘Sincerely yours’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ would be used for semi-formal or formal letters.
Here is an example of a formal letter structure >>
FORMAL QUESTION EXAMPLE >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> A formal letter would be written to someone that you don’t know. That is why when you start writing when you don’t know their name, you would write ‘Dear Sir/Madam….’
Model Answer >>
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you because I recently received a letter from you detailing the new overdraft charges that are going to be put into place next month.
As you will be aware I have a large overdraft currently exceeding £10,000 and the new charges will make it near impossible to pay off. I have had an account with your bank for over ten years and have never seen an increase in charges, such as those presented now.
I am aware that increased charges on large sums of money that have been borrowed are important in levying profits for your business. The increase that has been proposed of paying 5% on top of the regular amount of £350 in charges each month will become a large and difficult amount to repay.
I would, therefore, like you to write to me and explain why such a large increase has been planned. If you are unable to offer a response that is justifiable to both the bank and me, then I will have no choice but to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
I await your response.
Yours faithfully,
Mr John Bell.
(Word Count – 192 / Band Score 9)
This letter covers the three main points in the task – why he is writing to the bank, why the charges should not have been increased and what he wants them to do.
It has been clearly organised with each key point being written about in a separate paragraph.
Paragraph 1 – Explains why he is writing to the bank
Paragraph 2 – Details of why the charges should not have been increased
Paragraph 3 – States what he wants them to do
The tone of the letter is formal and therefore appropriate as it is being sent to a person you do not know from a business. The language used makes sure the letter is polite (Dear Sir or Madam……I am aware that……I await your response……Yours faithfully).
There is also evidence of a range of sentence structures, no grammatical or spelling errors
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Proven strategies for this IELTS Listening question type. Includes prediction techniques and common traps to avoid.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to write a semi-formal letter.
A semi-formal letter is written to someone that you know by name and with whom you have a professional or business relationship with, for instance; your teacher, accountant, landlord, etc. The surname should be used when addressing them – Dear Mrs.Thomas, Dear Mr Jones.
A semi-formal greeting > Dear Mr Hopkins, Dear Mrs Thomas
When signing off the letter, ‘Yours truly’, ‘Sincerely yours’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ would be used for semi-formal or formal letters. In semi-formal letters, you can also use – ‘With best wishes’ and ‘With regards’.
Here is an example of a semi-formal letter structure >>
Semi-formal Question Example >>
You must include the information that is required, in this example, you have to make a request, for a meeting with your boss to discuss a problem at work with another colleague. It is semi-formal because it is someone that the letter writer knows, but it is not a close friend.
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
Model Answer >>
Dear Mrs Amble
I am writing to you to request a meeting, to discuss some issues that have arisen with a member of my team.
I have been working with Ronnie Smith for over a year now and while he was a model member of the team, he has now become distant and irritable. Last week he disappeared during a very important lesson and reappeared over three hours later with no explanation. When confronted he made a flimsy excuse for his whereabouts.
I can assure you that I have been very flexible and understanding over previous time management issues, however, his erratic behaviour is becoming more frequent. I would like to meet with you on Wednesday 15th at 3 pm and examine the best way to approach this situation.
I hope this is an acceptable time to meet, please contact me at the earliest opportunity to re-arrange if there is a problem.
Yours Sincerely,
Steve King.
(Word Count – 156 / Band Score 9)
This letter covers the three main points in the task – why he is writing to her, gives further details of the problem in the second paragraph and in the final paragraph when he would like to have a meeting to discuss it further.
It has been clearly organised with each key point being written about in a separate paragraph.
Paragraph 1 – Explains why he is writing to the boss
Paragraph 2 – Details of the issue/problem
Paragraph 3 – Gives dates/time that they can arrange a meeting
The tone of the letter is polite and therefore appropriate as it is being sent to a work colleague (I am writing to you to request…..I can assure you….please contact me at the earliest opportunity)
There is also evidence of a range of sentence structures, no grammatical or spelling errors.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Proven strategies for this IELTS Listening question type. Includes prediction techniques and common traps to avoid.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to write an informal letter.
An informal letter is the type of letter you would write to a friend or family member. First names are used, or family terms, for example; Dear mum, Dear Uncle Tom, Dear Dad, etc.
An informal greeting > Dear Sarah, My dear friend, Dear Aunt Clare
When signing off the letter, you can use – ‘With best wishes’ and ‘With regards’. ‘Hope to see you soon!’ is a very informal way to close the letter.
Here is an example of an informal letter structure >>
Informal Question Example >>
You must include the information that is required, think about a detailed scenario – a name for the friend, some information about the bicycle and a preferred time to meet. Use your imagination and think about what you would include when writing this letter.
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> The informal letter question will normally have the word ‘friend’ in it. Asking you to write a letter to a friend is a key piece of information, telling you that the letter should be written in an informal style.
Model Answer >>
Dear Anna,
I hope you are doing well.
I am doing great, though things have been a bit stressful at the moment because we are packing for our move next week.
There are some things that we can’t take with us because we have nowhere to store them in the new house. This, unfortunately, includes my bicycle. I hardly use it now, so want to try and sell it and thought that you might be interested in taking a look. I can offer you a really good price and know that you wanted one a while ago.
It is a women’s bicycle with a cream frame and black wheels. It has a large black basket on the front, great for carrying groceries or other items, a bell, working front and back lights and brakes that are in fantastic condition. There is also a bike lock that comes with it.
We are planning to move into the new house on Friday next week. If you would like to come over and view the bike, I will be in on Monday 19th or Tuesday 20th after 6 pm. That will give me time to advertise it online if you are not interested.
Let me know which day you would like to see the bike and we can have a good catch up. I look forward to hearing from you.
See you soon!
Maggie.
(Word Count – 231 / Band Score 9)
This letter covers the three main points in the task about the bicycle – why it is being sold, a description and dates that the friend can view it.
It has been clearly organised with each key point being written about in a separate paragraph.
Paragraph 1 – Explains why the bicycle is for sale
Paragraph 2 – Describes the bicycl
Paragraph 3 – Gives dates/time that the friend can view the bicycle
The tone of the letter is informal and therefore appropriate as it is being sent to a friend (Hope you are doing well…..have a good catch up….see you soon!)
There is also evidence of a range of sentence structures, no grammatical or spelling errors.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The General Training Writing test has two separate writing tasks in 60 minutes. For each part, you will receive a question paper and an answer sheet. You can make notes on the question paper, only the text on the answer sheet will be marked by the examiner. You can write your answers in pen or pencil and correct when necessary. You cannot use a dictionary or any electronic devices.
IELTS Academic and General Training students do different tests for part 1, but complete the same test for part 2. There are many resources to help you prepare for part 2 here.
You must answer both tasks and it is recommended that you spend 20 minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2. Part 2 is twice as important as your score for part 1. Writing task 1 has a minimum word count of 150 words and you must write a letter. Writing task 2 has a minimum word count of 250, you must write a discursive essay, you will be given an opinion, problem or issue that you need to discuss.
Requirements from universities and immigration agencies vary. Most students will need at least a band score 6 for undergraduate study. For postgraduate study or immigration, a band score 7 is generally required.
Marking Criteria
One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.
The information in the test question will tell you what to write about. To achieve a high Task Achievement score, you must write about all of the points in the letter and make sure everything is relevant. To improve your score for Coherence and Cohesion, use the information in the question to plan and organise your ideas clearly. To achieve a high score in the Lexical Resource, you should use synonyms and avoid copying words from the question. In Grammatical Range and Accuracy, make sure you check through your work for any grammatical and spelling errors.
Task Achievement
Does your letter answer all parts of the question?
Are your ideas relevant?
Coherence and Cohesion
Are your ideas well organised, clear and well connected?
Lexical Resource
Have you repeated any words?
Have you copied any words from the question?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Have you made any grammatical/spelling/punctuation errors?
Have you used a variety of sentence structures?
Have you used the right tenses?
TIP >> Leave at least 2/3 minutes to check your work before you finish this task.
TIP >> In IELTS writing task 1 for the General Training, students only need to write the greeting ‘Dear…’, the body text, the complimentary close (for example – yours sincerely) and their name. Addresses should NOT be included.
TIP >> You do not get more points for writing more than 150 words. You should only spend 20 minutes on this task as writing task 2 is harder and worth twice as much in terms of the score.
Letter Writing
In the General Training Task 1, you will be asked to write a letter. The letter must be written in the correct style, for example;
Informal – writing to a friend or family member (someone you know well)
Semi Formal – if you were writing for a work colleague (someone you know)
Formal – if you are writing to a business or local newspaper (a person you do not know)
Each type of letter will use different language, meaning it will both begin and end in a different way. When given a question, you will identify which type of letter you need to write by identifying the language in the question.
The letter questions will feature different content, which tells you if the letter is going to be informal, semi-formal or formal. Here is a list >>
Information request – any style
Making arrangements – formal
Applications – formal
Invitations – personal/semi-formal
Complaints – formal
Personal – informal
The following are examples of three different types of letters >>
Informal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> The informal letter question will normally have the word ‘friend’ in it. Asking you to write a letter to a friend is a key piece of information, telling you that the letter should be written in an informal style.
Semi Formal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> A semi-formal letter is often to someone that you know like a work colleague.
Formal Letter Question >>
Write at least 150 words
You do not need to write any addresses
Begin your letter with ‘Dear…..”
TIP >> A formal letter would be written to someone that you don’t know. That is why when you start writing when you don’t know their name, you would write ‘Dear Sir/Madam….’
There are practice tests you can download from the British Council.
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Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, I want to share with you the 8 tips that you should remember in order to have IELTS Academic writing task 1 success!
There is a lot of information out there for you to read and remember, but during lessons with my students I always repeat the same things and those that choose to listen and study hard achieve the band score they need (7+!)
So here are the 8 tips for writing task 1 success!
1. Understand the question
Make sure that you read the question properly a few times, so that you fully understand what it is asking you to do. I often read essays where the student has misunderstood the question. This is not good for your score if you do this during your test. So always read the question and make sure that you understand what it is asking you to do.
The questions in writing task 1 normally say ‘report the main features and make any comparisons’. Look for those main features and if you can make any comparisons. You can highlight information on the paper/question before you start to write your essay. Practice as much as possible beforehand, using various academic writing task 1 questions and an approved essay structure.
2. Practice the essay structure
The structure that I advise my students to use, changes slightly depending on which question they have for writing task 1.
However, it has a core structure, that if used well, will be sure to get you a band score 7+. You need to practice using this structure, with as many questions as you can, before sitting your IELTS test. This writing task 1 structure has been proven to be successful for my students and when perfected, can easily help you to achieve a high band score.
3. Create an effective overview
The overview is the most important paragraph in the writing task 1 essay and without one, you will lose marks. this will affect your score and your ability to gain a band score 7 or higher. Practice writing an overview of different types of questions.
4. Use the right language
In the writing task 1 section of this website, you will find language help in most of the posts. It is important to use the right language when writing your essays. This can affect your band score, so it is worth studying and practising as much as possible.
For example, you should be able to paraphrase the question using synonyms, use signposting language (Overall, the line graph shows that..) and linking words(however, in contrast, one the one hand, on the other hand, therefore, in addition, etc). You should also be able to describe change and for the maps questions describe locations this will gain you marks in the lexical resource part of the marking criteria.
5. Know the Grammar
Think about the grammar you are using, if the question features change over a period of time, then make sure you use the correct tense when writing about those changes. For example, if a figure is projected to increase over a period of ten years up until the year 2022, you use the future tense >> ‘The price of oil will continue to increase up to £50billion dollars by the year 2022’. Practice with these types of question, so that you can use the past, present and future tenses.
When practising you can use ‘Grammarly’ which checks your work as you type, this will help you with spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.
6. Know the content
You need to able to report neutrally on the visual information presented to you. You should not include any opinion on the data, only report the data and trends that you can see.
It is a good idea to spend a minute or two looking at your chart/graph and circling/highlighting any information that is important.
For example, think about the following questions:
What is being measured and how?
Is it in percentages? Millions? Degrees? (for the temperature)
Then think about the timing – is it over the period of one year? Five? or Ten?
Can you make any comparisons?
7. Be selective
The question will ask you to ‘report the main features and make any comparisons’ so look for those main features – any highs/lows etc. Don’t write about every piece of information that you can see. This will lose your essay marks and affect your band score.
You need to practice highlighting the main features/any comparisons that you can see and plan your essay around those. Then practice writing in 20 minutes, you do not want to spend too much time on writing task 1, as writing task 2 has more weight in the marks.
8. Can you read it?
When practising writing your essays, check if you can read you own handwriting afterwards. If you find it difficult to read, then so will everyone else! Make it neat and easy to read, this is important so that the examiner can read your writing clearly. The advice from The British Council does say that candidates are allowed to write entirely in capital letters if they wish. This may make your writing easier to read.
It is also important that you separate the paragraphs, and don’t just have one big block of text. This will lose you marks in the test, therefore you can skip a line on the paper, to show that a new paragraph has been started. In the marking criteria, you do get marks for ‘logically organises information and ideas’ (Band score 7) so it is important to show that you have organised your information into logical paragraphs. Take a look at the essay structure to see how to organise those paragraphs well.
Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published May 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at the importance of being able to paraphrase. Paraphrasing is important, not only for the writing test but for all of the other parts of the test too. Being able to paraphrase will show the examiner that you have a wide vocabulary, helping you to achieve a higher band score.
To paraphrase text is to read the question then rewrite it in your own words. You should not copy words straight from the question, instead change the order of the words and choose words with a similar meaning (a synonym). This means you are using different words to write about the same idea.
Paraphrasing
Here is an example of a Writing Task 1 Question >>
The graph below shows the average monthly temperatures in three well-known cities. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Paraphrased >>
The line graph illustrates the climate conditions in Athens, Barcelona, and Sydney over the period of one year.
Here I changed temperatures to conditions (synonym) and then I added the three city names instead of saying ‘in three well-known cities’.
Using Synonyms
Synonyms are words you use when you want to write a word that has a similar meaning to the original word in the question. For example;
Area / space
Map / diagram / picture
Amount / number
Car / automobile / vehicle
Price / amount / cost
High / big / great
When paraphrasing the question, you don’t need to change all of the words, but you should try to change most of them. Be careful though, because choosing a word that has a similar meaning – not the same meaning can make the meaning of the sentence change or become unclear.
The best way to practice this is to have a look at writing task 1 questions and paraphrase/re-write the question in your own words. Whilst practising you can use an online thesaurus tool to help you find synonyms and learn new words.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Step-by-step guide to answering this type of IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Covers structure, key language, and band-scoring criteria.
Originally published May 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at the importance of having a good clear overview. The overview is the most important paragraph in the writing task 1 essay and without one, you will lose marks. this will affect your score and your ability to gain a band score 7 or higher.
What is an overview?
An overview is where you clearly write about the general information you can see in the graph/chart/map/process.
For the graphs/charts questions – You give the examiner a clear overview of the main features and you can make comparisons if you can see any. You don’t have to mention any numbers/data/stats here; this information should be in the next two paragraphs.
For the maps questions – You give a general overview of the most noticeable changes that have occurred / or will occur in the future.
For the process questions – You state how many stages the process has, how it begins and how it ends.
Things you should look for in the charts/graph questions >>
Focus on what the main features are
Look at the highest and lowest numbers
See if there has been a substantial growth or decline in a particular category
If there are a few categories, check if there is an obvious way to group them together into just two or three groups.
Look for one or two categories, which break the pattern set by all of the others.
Sometimes there are several different main features, which you can identify. You can circle the key information on the question paper before you start to write about your main features.
Things you should look for in the maps questions >>
Focus on the main changes that you can see, have they improved anything?
Have they built anything in an area that was countryside before?
Have there been any dramatic changes?
Things you should look for in the process questions >>
Think about the number of stages that are in time order.
How many stages are there?
What is happening at the beginning?
What is happening at the end?
I advise my students to write the overview in the second paragraph, after the introduction (paraphrased question) and before the main body paragraphs. The overview leads the reader through into the main body of the essay, where the specific details are written about.
Essay Structure
The structure should look like this >>
Paragraph 1- Introduction / Paraphrase the question.
Paragraph 2- Overview
Paragraph 3- Specific Details
Paragraph 4- Specific Details
Paragraph 2 – Overview of the main features
You need to be able to give a broad summary of the information. This is best started with Overall……. then giving details of the main features you can see. You can write this in one or two sentences.
You should try to make a complex sentence here by using a subordinate clause. This means when you are writing your sentences, you join two pieces of information with a linking word – while, whereas, with, although, even though. This can help you to gain more marks in the test.
Students often ask if they should write a conclusion in writing task 1 and the answer is no. This is not an opinion essay, therefore you do not need to give a conclusion. You stick to the facts in this essay, you do not give you own opinion.
Line graph question overview example >>
Overall, the highest recurrence of burglary was in Great Britain, which was fairly high from 2000-2009 in comparison to the other countries, while the lowest incidence when the study began in 2000 was in Spain. It can be seen that in 2009 Spain reported slightly lower figures than the other four countries.
Maps question overview example >>
Overall, the most important change will be the addition of safety measures and the appearance of foliage amid the initial monotonous city design. The sidewalks will be wider on both sides of the road and bicycle lanes will be added, while a pedestrian crossing will also be constructed at the bottom of the street. The crossing will have an island where pedestrians can wait.
Process question overview example >>
Overall, it can be observed that there are eight stages in this process, beginning with the collection of trees from the forest and ending with the paper being made in the paper making machine.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
