Model questions and answers for IELTS Writing task 1 topics

by Vandana V. Author

The Writing module has given jitters to many of the students. Indeed, it is one of the challenging tasks of the IELTS exam. The Writing task is divided into two parts. These tasks are different for Academic and General Training students. Task 2, which is writing an essay, is common for both; however, task 1 is not. Students preparing for Academic are required to write a Report under this task whereas, Letter writing is expected from the General Training candidates.

There are few common things about it, such as the minimum word count, 150 words. A student is expected to comply with this rule and write a bit above the minimum requirement. The amount of time dedicated to this task should be no more than 20 minutes. This task’s weightage is one-third of the writing task.

The task is marked under four parameters which are similar for both Report writing & Letter writing.

Task Achievement

Coherence & Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Academic: Let’s understand the topics that are covered in IELTS Writing Task 1 topics. First, let’s deal with Report writing. The infographics can be in the form of Bar charts, Line graphs, Pie charts Process, Maps, tables, etc. More often than not, these can come in combination as well. Practising is the key to success here.

Check the following example for your reference. It is an amalgamation of a pie chart and a table. The student is required to select the information carefully to provide a comprehensive report. Providing an appropriate vocabulary is vital.

The pie chart depicts the career options chosen by the Anthropology students after completing their graduation from a single university. In contrast, the table illustrates the remuneration received by these students after being employed for five years.

It is pretty evident that most pupils started working full time and those who worked in the Government sector earned the highest of all.

From the chart, it is clear that 52 per cent of graduates are working full-time. The number of students who are doing part-time jobs and those who are studying along with their jobs is 20%. However, there is a large number of students who are still unemployed (12%). Around 8 per cent of the students have taken up higher studies. Nevertheless, the data for 8% of the pupils are not available.

It is clear from the table that students employed in Private companies have the highest percentage of earning in the bracket of 25,000 - 49,999 USD, and a similar trend is observed in the 50,000 - 74,999 USD category. Whereas the Freelance consultants are reaching a maximum in the 75,000 - 99,999 USD range. 50% of the students employed in the Government sector are earning a salary of 100,000 USD and above.

General Training: Coming to IELTS Writing task 1 topics for General Training students. Here the students are expected to write a formal, a semi-formal or an informal letter. One should choose the IELTS writing task 1 vocabulary of the letters wisely. Here is a sample for your better understanding.

You work for an international company and spend five months working in its head office in a different country. Write a letter to your senior manager. In your letter,

Explain why you would like to work in the company’s head office for five months
Say how your work would be done while you are away
Ask for his/her help arranging it.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I write this letter to express my interest to work at the headquarters of our company for the upcoming five months.

As you might be aware, one of our biggest clients is in California and our office. If I work out of our head office, I will meet the customer representatives and understand their requirements for the next phase of the project very well. It will also be an excellent opportunity to establish a good relationship with them.

While I will be away from our regional office, I propose that Ms Swati lead the project. She has worked along with me for the last two years, and I am confident in her ability to manage the assignment without my regular supervision. However, I will seek regular updates from her.

Moreover, I would request you to inform the director of the project management team in the California office about my arrival and allocate me a couple of team members. It will help me in getting a head start on the work.

Looking forward to your approval on my travel plans.

Yours Faithfully,

Chandler Bing

One of the known ways to learn how to write and what to write is by getting feedback. Guidance from one of the best IELTS coaching institute is necessary if you want to excel in IELTS Writing Task 1.

About the Author

I am a certified IELTS teaching professional and have vast experience training IELTS students to crack their test successfully and nurture the IELTS trainers with their training journeys.