How To Start Writing Task 1 In IELTS – Best Tips In 2023

Students who wish to study abroad should take the IELTS test as an English proficiency test. There are a total of 4 modules in IELTS.

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening
• Writing

The IELTS writing section includes two parts of writing tasks,

1. IELTS writing task 1
2. IELTS writing task 2

In this article, we are going to discuss how to start writing task 1 in IELTS. But before that, let’s understand what IELTS writing task 1 is.

The IELTS Writing Task 1

Candidates attempting the Academic test will have to write a report on given maps, charts or graphs. 

Different type of questions in IELTS writing task 1 academics

• Bar Chart
• Line Graph
• Table
• Pie Chart
• Process Diagram
• Map
• Multiple Graphs

The report should be in 150 words. The candidates should write what they can see in the image provided in the question.

On the other hand, candidates attempting the General test will have to write a letter on a particular topic they are given. 

There are three types of letters in IELTS GT task 1

• Formal
• Informal
• Semi-formal

This letter writing also should have at least 150 words.

Before going to discuss each in particular, let’s get to know some essential things in IELTS writing task 1.

Read our other blog to get tips and samples for IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic.

Important Things About How To Start Writing Task 1 In IELTS

• The first thing is your report or letter writing should have a minimum of 150 words.
• Your writing test is tested in four areas. They are Coherence and Cohesion (25%), Task achievement (25%), Lexical Resource (25%), Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%).
• Candidates are advised to spend no more than 20 minutes on writing task 1.
• The writing task holds around 30% of the score in the whole IELTS writing score.
• However, writing task 1 was assessed in four different areas. The vocabulary and grammar hold higher marks than others. So if the candidates have knowledge of grammar and vocabulary, then they can score a good grade in writing task 1.

How To Start Writing Task 1 In IELTS

Candidates who take the academic test will be given a different type of charts or graphs. They must prepare a report on that by seeing the image (chart or graph) given. Let us see how to write Academic test

Note The Keywords

You are given a pie chart, bar chart, or data set in writing task 1. First, write down the important keywords in the question. What the data set is about, and how much data is used in the chart like that.

This is the first tip on how to start writing task 1 in IELTS.

Give The Overview

Select the main data and summarise it. Don’t go deeper into any data in the chart. Just look through the chart and note down the most striking points. 

Most importantly, first, analyze whether the chart is a dynamic chart or a static chart. The key features will differ from both of those. If it is a dynamic chart, note some points, like,

• Highs and lows of the chart
• Increasing and decreasing the data,
• What is happening from the start to the end of the chart?

If it is a static chart,

• Common noticeable differences between two data (or)
• Any similarity between the two data,
• The highest and lowest values of the graph.

You can easily write an overview by raising these questions. This is the second tip on how to start writing task 1 in IELTS.

Read our other blog to know the Books For IELTS Writing.

Paraphrase The Question

Paraphrasing is one of the essential skills in the IELTS exam. If you know how to paraphrase well, then you have the chance of getting a high band score. Paraphrasing is nothing but changing the order of the words or changing the word to the appropriate synonym word.

If you know the word very well, then use it to paraphrase. Also, if you are not sure, don’t give it a try, it may lead to grammatical mistakes and may impact your score also.

This is the third tip on how to start writing task 1 in IELTS.

Finally, Read Your Report And Try To Find Mistakes

If you are done with all work mentioned above, then recheck your report once again. Check for any grammatical mistakes and spelling errors in that.

Most of the candidates make mistakes while writing the year. So, please check all data names and years are the same as mentioned in the question.

How To Start Writing Task 1 In IELTS General Training

Notice Whether It Is Formal, Semi-Formal, Or Informal Letter

The first thing you notice in letter writing is that the given letter writing is formal, semi-formal, or informal. These two letter writing have big differences in writing test format.

If the letter is about a friend or your family members, then it will be an informal letter.  If the letter is about any higher official, manager, or lawyer, then it must be a formal letter. 

By understanding these types, you can easily start a letter with confidence. The informal letter usually starts with dear friend. In informal letters, you can add some expressions like miss you lot and see you soon like this. 

But the formal letters are quite the opposite of that. You cannot add these types of expressions. You have to write it in a very polite manner. Kindly take practice with formal and informal letters to get a better understanding.

Read our other blog to know the Recent Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics.

Give More Detail

The letter-writing question will be included with bullet points. Try to describe each in detail. This will give the examiner a good view of your letter. Elaborate every situation and make separate paragraphs for each bullet point to get a clear view.

Ending Your Letter

The ending of the letter differs for a different letter. If it is a formal letter, you should put thank you at the ending of the letter, and also you should use formal words like obediently or faithfully and write your name beneath. 

If it is an informal letter, you don’t need to put thank you, and you can put ‘yours lovingly’ and then write your name beneath.

The Final Check

Recheck your letter once again if you are done with all the work. Check whether you wrote the correct date or not, the correct place or not. 

Check the ending of the letter. Make sure that you have answered all bullet points mentioned in the question. Check for grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. 

Few Common Mistakes In IELTS Writing Task 1 And How To Avoid Them

1. Many students add detail from their side; this is the first mistake students make. You should describe the data as given. When defining data use appropriate grammar structures and vocabulary. 
2. Students use the data precisely sometimes; you are advised don’t use the data too precisely. If you look at the pie chart or graph of book prices, describe it as below 600 or between 500 to 600. If you don’t know the exact data, use this type of report. 
3. Students don’t use an appropriate format, you should organize your answers like the below format,
   1. The first paragraph, Introduction.
   2. Overview of the data set.
   3. Paraphrase a data set.
   4. The main content of the data set or graph.
4. Sometimes students get confused about the questions, so they are advised that don’t get complicated ideas about the question. Simpler, you think you can get marks easily.
5. Sometimes students spend more than 20 minutes on IELTS writing task 1, so avoid that.
6. Students sometimes try to describe everything in the graph. Don’t try to describe everything present in the graph. Just write down some main features of the graph. This is enough to understand your skills to the examiner.
7. Many students don’t provide an overview of the question in their answers. Provide a better overview, as a better overview will give you better marks. Try to write a good overview. This is one of the main skills that every candidate should have.

Marking Criteria In IELTS Writing Task 1

After knowing how to start writing task 1 in IELTS, you should know the marketing in IELTS writing task 1.

While you are preparing for IELTS, knowing the mark allocation will be good. The mark allocation is done based on Task achievement, Lexical Resources, Coherence and Cohesion, Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each Skill will give you a partial mark. For example, if your scores are 6, 8, 7, or 9 in each criteria then your score will be 7.5. 

They will take the round nearest score. So your score will be 7.5 on the IELTS exam. Most of the examiners will expect good grammar skill and vocabulary skills. So make sure to prepare well for both of them. This will give you a noticeable mark on the IELTS.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have explained how to start writing task 1 in IELTS. IELTS writing task 1 holds around 30% of total marks in total IELTS writing. 

It is important to write properly the IELTS writing task 1 because if you get a full score in task 1, then your overall score in writing will be good. 

If you need help in preparing for the IELTS exam, you can choose our online exam service. If you still have queries or questions related to IELTS task 1, you can contact our experts or let us know through comments.

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