A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE IELTS WRITING TEST
Abstract
: Being administered at local centres throughout the world in 120 countries, IELTS is one of the most widely used large-scale ESL tests that also offers a direct writing test component. Because of its popularity and its use for making critical decisions about test takers, the present article finds it crucial to draw attention to someissues regarding assessment procedures of IELTS. Therefore, the present paper aims to provide a descriptive and critical review of the IELTS writing test by focusing particularly on various reliability issues such as single marking of papers, readabilityof prompts, comparability of writing topics, and validity issues such as the definition of the “international writing construct,” without considering variations among rhetorical conventions and genres around the world. Consequential validity-impact issues will also be discussed and suggestions will be given for the use of IELTS around the world and for future research to improve the test.
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Disclaimer: The author is by no means, responsible for any discrepancy or liable
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the best of my ability via internet and various study booklets. Thanks
Ten Study tips for IELTS:
1. You need a method
Have you practice a particular way of writing Introduction or
starting sentence in your writing
2. Small improvement
You will not find a particular technique, which will lead to a
dramatic improvement
3. Do less testing, more preparing
Spend more time review a perfect bound (9 band) samples score,
the methodology and approach, than practicing questions online
4. Understanding is not the same as using.
You only know word, when is used and apply correctly in a
sentence
5. Learn from your mistakes
6. Forget about difficult words and complex grammar
7. Answer questions using simple sentences
8. Use topic vocabulary specific to questions, not any impressive
words or phrases
9. There is not a secrete or special technique generally
10. Hard work instead of worry
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IELTS WRITING PART 1 STUDY REVIEW
There are two (2) writing task to do in the IELTS GENERAL
Letter writing
Essay writing
The Letter Writing:
A letter is written in five (5) Parts:
I. Greetings
II. Purpose
III. Details
IV. Request
V. Sign-off
There is an initial greeting, followed by the second paragraph stating the
purpose of the letter; followed by the third paragraph which depict the
details of purpose, subsequently, fourth paragraph stating a request or
what the writer will like to see happen as a result of the letter and finally,
the sign-off or complementary close
Today we shall only discuss Greetings and Sign-off
Opening Address
Closing Address
These two parts, depend on the three (3) major type of letter writing
Formal
Semi-Formal
Informal
Depending on the type of test, there are different ways of opening and
closing the (IELTS task 1) writing
A formal letter might be a letter written to a company or someone who
own an office and you are not well acquitted with.
Begin: Dear Sir, Dear Madam (not Dear sir, ma, Ma, or madam).
However, it is much more formal, to say Dear Sir/Madam,
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Complementary close should be:
Yours faithfully,
(Not, Yours sincerely, Faithfully, truly: note the uses of sentence cases)
Summary:
IELTS formal letter
Dear Sir (For known gender)
Dear Madam (For known gender)
Dear Sir/Madam (For unknown gender)
Yours faithfully
Semi-Formal
Is a letter writing to someone who owns an office or of a formal status
with a degree of familiarity: School Teacher, Counselor, Boss, Librarian
etc
Since, the fellow is an acquaintance, then, the name should be
addressed. The problem here is:
If the name is John Smith, a male: (Informal letter uses the last or family
name with a title).
That is:
Dear Mr. Smith,
Not, Dear Mr. John (You don’t use first name, with a title). Pay close
attention to the sentence cases and punctuations: (,) (.) (mr) (smith)
(dear) (john)
If the name is Mary Jones, a female and you don’t know the marital
status:
Consider, the following possibilities, using the last name:
Dear Miss Jones (Single)
Dear Mrs. Jones (Married)
Dear Ms Jones (Neutral), just as in the case with, male counterpart (Mr.)
The complimentary should be:
Yours sincerely,
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Not, faithfully, truly, lovely. (Note: Ms is pronounced: ‘Miz’)
Summary:
IELTS Semi-Formal Letter
Dear Mr. Smith (For a known gender, male, both married and single)
Dear Miss Jones (For a known gender, female, single)
Dear Mrs. Jones (For a known gender, female, married)
Dear Ms. Jones (For a unknown marital status, female)
Yours sincerely,
IELTS Informal Letter
Summary:
Given the following names: John Smith (male) and Rose Mary (female),
Use the first name without title. To be candid, it is grammatically wrong
to use first name with title.
Dear John
Dear Mary
Complimentary Close
Best wishes
Best regards
(Note the cases, (Wishes, Regards, Truly, Lovely: are all wrong)
For more information, study tips and materials on IELTS:
Please, subscribe to my channel or visit my website on:
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Thanks
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'accommodation' letter
Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:
The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)
The purpose of the letter must be clear
You must cover all of the points
The letter must be well-organised
You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'Accommodation' answer
Disclaimer: Here's my sample letter for the question in this lesson. Most of the answer
samples are excerpt from internet and are Simon works. I find Simon, I teaching and
references quite impressive, subsequently, I advice and recommend IELTS Writing Task
1 Simon, for practice.
(158 words, band 9)
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'accommodation' letter
I haven't done a lesson about the General Writing test for a while, so here's a recent
exam question that a student sent me. I'll share my answer next week.
Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:
The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)
The purpose of the letter must be clear
You must cover all of the points
The letter must be well-organised
You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary
IELTS General Writing: formal phrases
Here are some formal phrases that I've used in previous lessons. See if you can use
them in your own letters:
Beginning the letter by explaining why you are writing:
I am writing with regard to...
I am writing to inform you that...
I am writing to bring to your attention some issues with...
Requesting or suggesting something:
I have decided that I would like you to...
I am entitled to ask for...
I was wondering if it would be possible (for me) to...
I hope that you will...
I would like to suggest that...
Ending the letter with a request for action:
I look forward to receiving your response.
I await your prompt response.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: apology answer
Here's my full answer to last week's General Writing task:
IELTS General Writing: apology letter
If you are taking the General IELTS test, try this letter writing task:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'time off work' letter
Here's my full answer for last week's general writing question:
.....
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to ask for some time off work next month.
The reason for this ______ is that my brother is getting married. His future wife is
Australian, and the wedding will take ______ in her home city, Melbourne. As the
brother of the groom, I cannot miss such a special occasion.
To attend the ceremony and make the ______ trip from the UK, I would need at least
five days off work. However, I would like to take the opportunity to do some sightseeing
in Australia, and so I am hoping that you will allow me to take a full two weeks’ ______,
from the 1st to the 15th of May.
I have spoken to my co-workers, and it seems that Peter Jones would be best ______
to cover my project commitments while I am away. I will ______ detailed instructions for
him on my desk.
I hope that my request does not cause you any inconvenience.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Hall
.....
Fill the gaps with the words below:
- round
- leave (verb)
- leave (noun)
- placed
- place
- request
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'time off work' topic
If you're doing the general IELTS test, try this writing task 1 question from Cambridge
book 9, page 117:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
This should be a formal letter, so start with "Dear Mr. Smith" (Mr. or Mrs. and any
surname). Then write a short paragraph for each of the three bullet points in the task
box above. End the letter with "Yours sincerely" and a full name (you don't need to use
your own name).
It might help if you do a quick plan before you start writing. Just spend a couple of
minutes thinking of ideas for each bullet point.
IELTS General Writing: things to avoid
Here are some mistakes that you should avoid in writing task 1 of the GT test:
1.The main purpose of the letter isn't clear.
2.You didn't cover all of the points.
3.You wrote too much about one point, and neglected the others.
4.You didn't separate your paragraphs clearly.
5.You didn't get the 'tone' right (formal or informal).
6.The letter doesn't 'flow' well because ideas are badly organised.
Avoid these mistakes, and you are on the way to writing a good letter!
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'local problem' letter
Here's my full answer for last week's question:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: local problem
Here's a recent GT question that students told me about. Feel free to share your ideas,
and I'll show you my full answer next week.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: 'insurance' letter
Here's my full answer to last week's question:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'insurance' letter
Here's a general writing task 1 question from Cambridge IELTS book 9:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
The question tells you to begin with "Dear Sir or Madam", so we know that it needs to
be a formal letter. After that, you just need 3 short paragraphs to cover the bullet points
in the question, followed by a formal letter ending.
I'll write my sample answer for next week.
IELTS General Writing: formal and informal
Let's compare some of the formal and informal features in the two letters that you can
see if you click here.
Formal letter
Beginning: Dear Sir or Madam
Stating the purpose: I am writing with regard to
Formal choice of language: due to, I intended, as a result of, caused me great
inconvenience, compensate me, the additional flight
No contractions: I am (not "I'm")
Ending: I look forward to receiving your response. Yours faithfully,
Informal letter
Beginning: Dear John
Stating the purpose: I'm just writing to let you know that
Informal choice of language: As you know, Well, prices are crazy, on the bright side,
it's got nice big windows, a lovely view, if you ever fancy, great to see you
Use of contractions: I'm, we've, isn't, it's
Ending: Keep in touch! All the best
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IELTS General Writing: tone
One of the first things that the examiner will notice in your letter is its 'tone'. In other
words, is your letter written in an appropriately formal or informal way, depending on the
person you are addressing?
Task:
Compare the tone of the two letters in the document linked below. Make a list of the
formal and informal features that you find.
IELTS General Writing: 'lost photo' letter
Here's my full answer to the question
IELTS General Writing: another informal letter
Here's a recent question from task 1 of the general writing test:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: informal letter
I wrote the following letter with some of my students here in Manchester. It contains
some great examples of informal phrases. Can you guess what the full question was?
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: resignation letter
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: resignation question
I haven't done a lesson about the general writing test for a while, so here's a question
that you could try. I'll post my full answer next week.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Writing: 'new business' letter
Here's my full letter
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: 'new business' letter
I haven't done a lesson about the General Writing test for a while, so here's an
interesting question that a student sent me. I'll share my answer next week.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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Remember that the examiner is looking for the following things:
The tone must be appropriate (formal or informal)
The purpose of the letter must be clear
You must cover all of the points
The letter must be well-organised
You need to use some good (and relevant) vocabulary
IELTS General Writing: some questions
Here are some questions that a student asked me about General Writing task 1:
1. Should I write the date at the top of a formal letter?
No, in the IELTS test you should not write the date or your address.
2. Should I use indentation at the start of a new paragraph?
You can either indent or miss a line. Just make sure it's clear that you have begun a
new paragraph. Personally, I think missing a line is clearer.
3. Should I end the letter with "Yours..." on the left or on the right?
Always end the letter on the left. Have a look at my letters on
4. Should I sign the letter before writing my name?
No, don't sign your name. You don't even need to put your real name. Personally, I use
a first name (e.g. John) for informal letters, and a full name (e.g. John Smith) for formal
letters.
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IELTS General Writing: environment letter
Here's my full letter for Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
Posted Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: environment problem
Here's a recent question from General IELTS writing task 1:
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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My advice is to choose an easy topic like "litter". Write a quick plan with ideas for each
bullet point. If you need some help, have a look at this website.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: one tip
Yesterday I forgot to mention my key piece of advice for writing task 1 in the General
Training test. If I had to choose one key piece of advice for GT task 1, I'd say that you
need to get the 'tone' right.
The tone of your letter is its character or attitude, either formal or informal. For a
summary of the differences between formal and informal letters, read this lesson.
Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: verb tenses
Simple present simple
I write to enquire about, I write to inform you that, .
Present continuous
I am writing, passengers are becoming, delays are making...
Present perfect
my train has arrived, I have been unable, I have seen...
Future
I shall be much oblige if, I will appreciate if, you will address
Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Training: complaint letter
Here's my letter for Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
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IELTS General Training: letter of complaint
Let's do a quick plan for the question below.
Problems: trains arrive late and are overcrowded
Effects: people arriving late for work, uncomfortable, unhappy
Changes: more regular trains, more carriages to increase space
Always do a quick plan! The plan above only took me a couple of minutes, and now I'm
ready to write a good essay. I'll post it next week.
Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: 'travel problem' letter
Here's my full sample letter for Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
questions:
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Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: 'travel problem' topic
Before you start writing, quickly note down some ideas for each point:
Problem: I was given the wrong boarding card.
Effect: I missed two days of my holiday.
Request: I would like compensation for the flight and other expenses.
Don't worry about whether the problem seems realistic or not. You will be judged
according to how well you express ideas, not on the ideas themselves.
Posted by Aluko in IELTS General Writing | Permalink |
IELTS General Writing: some informal phrases
The phrases below make the letter in this lesson a bit more friendly / informal:
my place (meaning 'my house')
a few things (avoid the word 'thing' in more formal contexts)
pick up the keys (meaning 'collect')
pop round (meaning 'visit')
a bit warmer ('bit' is informal, use 'little' if you want to sound more formal)
worth checking out (meaning 'a good idea to go there')
For more information, study tips and materials on IELTS:
Please, subscribe to my channel or visit my website on:
Website: http//www.alukosayoenoch.wix.com/selfcoding
And click on: www.unilag.academia.edu/SayoAluko/Papers
To download free study materials, sample questions and solutions
Mobile contact: 08025358881 or 07033599440
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