Showing posts with label IELTS. Show all posts

How to Write IELTS Writing Task 1 - Bar Graph

Today, we are going to discuss another bar graph that we have to describe when doing IELTS Writing Task 1. As usual, we will also discuss strategies used to do the writing step by step. Before we start writing, look at a sample bar graph below.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Graph

Paragraph 1 - Introductory Paragraph

Step 1

The first paragraph of an IELTS Writing Task 1 will contain general information about the graph. The first step of writing is introducing the graph. We do this simply by writing "The bar graph outlines/shows/explains/describes, etc..." and paraphrasing the original title. For the sample bar graph above, we're going to do the paraphrasing word by word. So, we are going to use income instead of money. We are going to change the sentence structure a little bit so tgat the word "allocation" cab be replaced with "allocated for" mention the three different purposes, and replace the phrase "income level" with economic status. The first sentence will look like this:

The bar graph describes how income is allocated for spending, saving and investment by people from different economic status ✔

Step 2

Okay, so now that we have introduced the bar graph, we are going to continue to Step 2, which is explaining other relevant information in the bar graph. We can see that the allocation of income is presented in percentage, so we can write:

Units are presented in percentage ✔

Step 3

Now, we are going to explain the major trend in the bar graph, which will be used to organize our paragraph later. It's clear that people from lower-middle income and middle income use much of their income for consumption, unlike the wealthy people. We can explain it like this:

Overall, people from lower-middle economic status and the more affluent middle class earmark a significant portion of their earnings for consumption, while people with high income tend to invest their money ✔

So, our first paragraph will look like this:

The bar graph describes how income is allocated for spending, saving and investment by people from different economic status. Units are presented in percentage. Overall, people from lower-middle economic status and the more affluent middle class earmark a significant portion of their earnings for consumption, while people with high income tend to invest their money.

Body Paragraph 2 - Detailed Information

So, the second paragraph of our writing will explain how income allocated by people with lower-middle income and middle income. We don't have to explain everything, just the main features. We know that people with lower-middle income spend a very significant portion of their earning on consumption, just a little above 90%. We also know that they hardly invest their money, so we can compare the huge difference between consumption and investment as well.

As for the people with middle income, we know that they also spend much of their earning on consumption, but they also have saving and investment. We can write our second paragraph like this:

So, our first paragraph will look like this:

To begin, the bar graph indicates that people with low-middle income spend most of their earning on consumption, just a little above 90%. They hardly invest their money, but nearly 10% of the money that they earn is allocated for saving. Likewise, people with middle income also earmark a significant portion of their money for consumption. However, they have much more money for saving, making up nearly a third of the money allocation. Overall, people with middle income tend to allocate their money more proportionally.

Okay, I think that second paragraph looks good enough, so now we will proceed to the third paragraph.

Body Paragraph 3 - Detailed Explanation

The last paragraph of our Writing Task 1 is actually pretty much the same, except for the trend. Wealthy people invest most of their money, and their money allocation for consumption is lower than that of saving and investment. Well, this is the reason why we put them in a separate paragraph. Their money allocation is far different from the other income groups. Okay, so our third paragraph looks like this.

So, our first paragraph will look like this:

Unlike the people with lower-middle and middle income, the more well-off individuals spend only around one-fifth or their money for consumption. In contrast, they earmark more than a half of their earning for investment.

So, the entire writing will look like this:

There are four aspects that are graded in our IELTS writing, namely the task achievement, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and coherence and cohesion. Let's see how the sample writing above has somewhat met the criteria of a good writing in IELTS.

Task Achievement

The word count for the sample writinig above is 174, and it is good that we write a minimum of 150 words as required, but not too many words as to make the writing become extremely boring. Other than making sure that the word count has met the requirement for IELTS Writing Task 1, we also have to pay attention to the following aspects:

Lexical Resource

First of all, make sure that we use formal language in our writing at all time. For example, I don't change the word "money" with "cash" because it is less formal than, let's say, "income" or "earning". Secondly, we are not supposed to overuse certain word because that way, we won't be able to get maximum score on lexical resource. We have to be creative with the use of vocabulary, because sometimes, certain is extremely hard or even impossible to paraphrase. In this case, we can change the sentence structure instead, or simply change the word from certain word class to another, or turn certain word into a phrase or clause. This is what I have done with the word "earning". Since I don't want to use the word over and over again, I simply turn it into "the money that they earn" which actually means the same thing.

Speaking of the lexical resource, here are some words and phrases that you will frequently use in IELTS Writing Task 1. I also use these words/phrases in the sample writing above.

describe - we use this to explain that certain information is described in a graph/chart
present - just another way saying describe
percentage - certain amount/ number in a hundred
significant - a huge amount of something
portion - a part of a whole
indicate - just another way saying describe
a little above - we use this for estimation
nearly - we use this for estimation
a third - just another of saying 33.33%
unlike - to tell that certain thing is different from another
around - we use this for estimation
one-fifth - just another way of saying 20%
in contrast - this is used for comparison
half - just another way of saying 50%

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

In the writing, I try to demonstrate my mastery of English grammar by using various sentence structures. I use active voice, passive voice, sentence with multiple clauses, reduced clause, etc. This is a good way of getting the highest score in this aspect. If you use active voice in your entire writing, just doing the S + V + ... over and over again, it's just apparent that we may lack of skill (or effort) to explore and use other sentence structures.

Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion is an important part of our writing. They help readers understand the relation between sentences, like causality, comparison, and elaboration. Sometimes, they also show the readers where we start our explanation, like the word "to begin" that use above. Here are some of the words that are commonly used to make our writing more cohesive and coherent.

to begin
overall
while
likewise
however
unlike
in contrast

Okay, I think that the explanation above has summed up what we need to do in IELTS Writing Task 1 and how we can get a good score based on the criteria that we have to meet. I really hope that the explanation above will be helpful enough, but if there are things that I miss, you can tell what tp improve on the comment below, you know I always appreciate a feedback as it helps me improve the material that I post on this blog.

Alright, I guess that's all for now. Terima kasih.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Pie Chart Template

In the previous material, we have learned how to describe a pie chart in IELTS Writing Task 1. Despite all the best efforts to make the material more easily understandable, some people still find it hard to understand ): so I decided to find another way of explaining IELTS Writing Task 1.

There is actually a much simpler way to explain IELTS Writing Task 1, and this can be done using a template. From now on, I will try to cover all of these templates for all graphs/charts (including map and process). If you just begin to learn how to do IELTS Writing Task 1 and need to know the basic, then this material is perfect for you. If you have learned IELTS Writing Task 1 for quite some time and already have a good understanding of how the writing should be done, you may want to read this material instead.

Okay, now lets begin with the first template. Take a look at a sample chart below

Remember that we have four marking criteria for IELTS Writing, which are:

- Task Achievement

- Lexical Resource/Vocabulary

- Grammatical Range and Accuracy

- Coherence and Cohesion

Like many other graphs in IELTS Writing Task 1, the sample pie chart above usually follows this template:

Introduction
- Introduce the graph & paraphrase the original title
- Explain the main features
- Explain the major trends

Body Paragraph 1
- Give detailed information about increase, decrease, starting point, peak, slope, and other relevant information

Body Paragraph 2
- Give detailed information about increase, decrease, starting point, peak, slope, and other relevant information

Before seeing the sample writing at the end of this article, make sure you try describing the pie charts above using this template. After that, compare your work with the sample writing.

Paragraph 1

[Step 1]
Introduce the graph

The pie chart shows/explains/outlines/

presents/compares [...]

[Step 2]
Paraphrase the original title

_________________________________

[Step 2]
Explain the main features

Units are measured in _________________________________

_________________________________

[Step 3]
Explain the major trend

Overall, there is an increasing/

decreasing trend in __________________

while ________________ shows an opposite trend

Paragraph 2
To begin,	_________________________________
x years later,	_________________________________
Other than ____________	_________________________________
In addition,	_________________________________ ______________________ a decade later

Paragraph 3
Moving to ___________	_____________________________
As for ____________	_____________________________
In 2010,	_____________________________
In 2020,	_____________________________

Notes on Task Completion

I have said this before and I'll say it again, we have to write at least 150 words in IELTS Writing Task 1. If we write less than 150 words, there will be a penalty and this can affect our score. We can write more than 150 words, but don't be carried away. We still have IELTS Writing Task 2 that requires a lot more time because we have to write 250 words. In IELTS Writing Section, we have one hour in total and most common time allocation for IELTS Writing Task 1 is 20 minutes.

Notes on Lexical Resource

(1) Please remember that we need to avoid repeating the same word over and over again, which is why I wrote shows, explains, outlines, and presents just in case I need to use them in another part of the writing. If we have used the word shows, for example, try to avoid using it again and use other words.

(2) There are several words that we have to avoid when doing IELTS Writing Task 1 because they are not academic words (it could be a slang, informal words, weak words, contraction, etc such as gonna instead of going to, tells instead of indicates, expressions like seems like, and contraction such as it's or won't)

(3) Don't use lazy expressions such as etc, and so on and so forth, stuff, things, and other lazy expressions)

(4) We need to be consistent with our spelling. Do not mix up British and American spelling (let's say, try not to mix up the word behaviour and behavior although they have the same meaning).

(5) Some words cannot be paraphrased because they have no synonyms or sometimes, they do have synonyms but the context is a little bit different when we put the word in a sentence. In this case, we can be a little bit more creative by changing the grammatical form instead. We can change active voice into a passive voice, use reduced clauses, use Noun, Adjective and Adverbial Clauses, change the word class by adding inflection, and so on and so forth. For example, you can see that I don't change the word high school graduates in paragraph 1 but instead, changing the grammatical form by turning the Noun Phrase into a Prepositional Phrase. Take a look at this illustration:

...high school graduates [NP] → ...youth [N] in Lakeside County [PP] after graduating from high school [PP]

Creativity will be very helpful in writing, but we have to have a good mastery of English grammar to do this. Don't worry, grammar can be learned and a lot of practice will definitely help.

(6) There are some words or phrases that are commonly used in IELTS Writing Task 1, and we better learn how to use these words and phrases in our writing. In the sample writing that you can see at the end of this article, you can find some words and phrases that are often used in IELTS Writing Task 1, such as compare, units, measured, percentage, increasing, trend, in contrary, the number, stable, opposite trend, to begin, quintuple, a growing trend, in addition, triple, moving to, witness, a significant fall, as for, plummet, proportion, a little below.

(7) Do not overuse certain words or phrases. The most common example of this type of mistake is the use of the word significantly. Instead of using increase significantly or decrease significantly over and over again, try to use:

-skyrocket, jump, soar, surge (for increasing trend)

-Plummet, shrink, fall, drop, dip, decline, decimated (for decreasing trend)

Notes on Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Grammatical range means that we have to demonstrate our ability to use various grammatical forms in English, which also means that we better not use the same sentence structure over and over again in our writing. We know that the basic form of an English sentence is [S] + [V] + [...], but there are some variations that we can use to improve our score, such as:

- Reduced Adjective Clause - e.g. ...chosen by youth in Lakeside County... (paragraph 1). I don't use a complete Adjective Clause because I already use it in ...who aspired towards being an entrepreneur... (paragraph 2)

- Prepositional Phrase - e.g. ...after graduating from high school (paragraph 1). I don't use a complete Adjective Clause ...after they graduated from high school because I already use Adjective Clause in paragraph 2.

- Using Present Participle - e.g. ...working in informal sectors as a freelancer (paragraph 2). Present Participle is used in Reduced Adjective Clause and Reduced Adverbial Clause

- Use the Verb witness and experience to turn [V] + [Adv] structure into a [V] + [DO] structure - e.g. witness a significant fall (paragraph 3). Well, I can just write it down as ...significantly decreased in 2020 but as I said before, the word significantly is a little bit overused, so I avoid it.

Grammatical accuracy means that we have to write our essay using the correct grammar. Even a minor mistake (let's say, the use of inflection -s, -es and -ies in Simple Present Tense) will affect our score so please be precise with the grammar. For the sample pie chart above, we have to be very careful with the tenses. We have to know when to use past tense and when to use the present tense.

Notes on Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion is related to our ability to present ideas in a logical order and connect those ideas to form a discourse. Each idea in our writing needs to have a clear relation with other ideas (for example, contrasting and supporting ideas), and cohesive device can help us with this. For example, if we want to contrast two different ideas, we can use the word in contrary, unlike, whereas, etc. If we want to elaborate our ideas, we can use furthermore, in addition, moreover, besides, etc. Transition between one explanation to another can be made smoother using words like to begin, as for, moving to, etc. Take a look at an illustration below to understand why cohesive devices are important:

Paragraph 2

The number of high school graduates who aspired towards being an entrepreneur in 2010 was only 5%. The number almost quintupled in 2020. There was also a growing trend of young people working in informal sectors as a freelancer. Of all high school graduates in Lakeside County, 5% of them did not have a plan for job or academic career in 2010, and the number tripled in 2020.

Paragraph 3

The number of graduates who worked after graduating from high school witnessed a significant fall. In 2020, only one in ten high school graduates worked and had a stable job. The number of high school graduates who pursued higher education also plummeted in 2020. In 2010, more than half of high school graduates went to college. In 2020, the proportion was a little below 40%

Reading this can give you a headache because there is no clue as to how one idea is related to another. What we have in this writing are just pieces of information crammed in two short paragraphs. There is no clear connection between the second and the third paragraph either. In short, this writing is bad, real bad. Now, take a look at another sample writing below and pay attention to the underlined words.

Paragraph 2

To begin, the number of high school graduates who aspired towards being an entrepreneur in 2010 was only 5%. Ten years later, the number almost quintupled. Other than being entrepreneur, there was also a growing trend of young people working in informal sectors as a freelancer. In addition, 5% of high school graduates in Lakeside County did not have a plan for job or academic career in 2010, and the number tripled a decade later.

Paragraph 3

Moving to graduates who worked after graduating from high school, the number witnessed a significant fall and by the year 2020, only one in ten high school graduates worked and had a stable job. As for those who pursued higher education, the number also plummeted in 2020. In 2010, more than half of high school graduates went to college. In 2020, the proportion was a little below 40%

In this sample writing, the transition between ideas are smoother and it is easier for us to understand the relation between ideas. The word moving to makes transition from paragraph one to paragraph two become more seamless.

After going through all processes above, our IELTS Writing Task 1 should look like this:

The pie charts compare some professional and academic career paths chosen by youth in Lakeside County after graduating from high school. Units are measured in percentage. Overall, there is an increasing trend among high school graduates who became an entrepreneur. In contrary, the number of high school graduates pursuing higher education or have a stable job shows an opposite trend.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Graph (Major Trend & Main Features)

Today, we are going to learn how to describe a bar graph in IELTS Writing Task 1. Bar graph is a little bit easier to explain for various reasons, but the main reason why it is so easy to explain is because the general pattern is more obvious. To demostrate how it's done, we are going to use a sample bar graph below:

You may wonder why it is important for us to notice the major trend of a data. There are several reasons, some of them being:

(1) Understanding the major trend helps us find the most interesting features in the graph. We are not supposed to include all information in the graph because that will make our writing extremely tedious and boring. Take twitter's data as an example. We don't have to explain the figure year by year but instead, try to focus on the slope and the peak of the data and simply write: people spend more time on twitter or the time spent on twitter constantly increases as the number witnesses a fairly constant increase throughout the period.

(2) It also helps us arrange our ideas better. Don't jump from one piece of information to another piece of information. Ideas have to be well-organized and written in a logical order.

Let's say we start writing paragraph 2 by explaining how people spent less time on facebook and how the amount of time spent on instagram fluctuated. After that, we proceed to describe how twitter witnessed a significant growth in terms of daily time spent by its users. We continue writing paragraph 3 by giving some other pieces of information, putting them randomly across paragraph three. That way, the reader will be confused pretty easily.

Instead of doing that, we should organize our ideas based on trends, and put them in two different paragraphs. Because both facebook and twittter exhibit a constant trend (either constantly decreases or constantly increases), I'll put them in one paragraph, let's say paragraph 2. So, I don't want to include snapchat and instagram in paragraph 2 because they have different trend. I want the reader to focus on how facebook experienced a constant decline in terms of the time spent by its users and how twitter shows an opposite trend. So, it will look pretty much like this:

In 2016, people on twitter spent around 20 minutes a day using the app. Every year, the duration slightly increased by 5 minutes until it reached its peak at the end of the period, in which users nearly spent 45 minutes a day. As for facebook, it used to be a social media platform with the longest duration spent by its users. But, the number witnessed a sharp decrease in 2017, and kept experiencing a slight decline from that point on.

The same thing goes for paragraph 3. Here, I want to focus on instagram and snapchat as they exhibit a fairly similar trend throughout the period. In this paragraph, do not mention anything about facebook and twitter. Not only is it going to be confusing, doing that will also make your writing become repetitive. What's the point of repeating the exact same point in different paragraphs, anyway? With that being said, paragraph should look like this:

Moving to snapchat, the duration spent on this platform used to be the shortest among other apps, just a little below 15 minutes a day. However, people spent more time using the app and by the year 2019, as they used it for nearly 45 minutes a day. Instagram had the second longest duration of roughly 20 minutes a day in 2016. A year later, its users spent more than forty minutes daily. In the next two years, the duration spent on instagram decreased to half an hour and 20 minutes respectively. At the end of the period, people spent nearly forty minutes using instagram.

To better understand what I mean by trend, take a look at an illustration below.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Graph Major Trend

To better understand some of the most interesting features of the graph, take a look at an illustration below:

sorry if it looks a little messy

Here is how I explain the bar graph above:

The bar graph compares the amount of time that people spent on facebook, twitter, instagram and snapchat in a five-year period staring in 2016. The data indicates that people were spending more time on twitter, while facebook users spent less and less time over the period. In general, the total duration spent on using snapchat steadily increased, while the total duration on instagram considerably varied.

That's all for now, see ya

IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips - Vocabulary

Today, we are going to discuss vocabulary range and accuracy, which is another important aspect in IELTS Writing Task 2. Some people have difficulty finding and using words for Writing Task 2 for various reasons. Dealing with difficult terms could cause us some troubles, paraphrasing a sentence may be difficult at times, and finding English equivalent for certain word may take us some time (if English is not our first language). A very difficult and unfamiliar topic can also be a factor why our vocabulary score is considerably lower compared to, let's say, grammatical accuracy and range. To demonstrate some skills that need to be mastered to maximize our score in vocabulary range and accuracy, we are going to use this sample topic.

It is argued that some ex-prisoneers are having difficulty rejoining the community and end up committing other crimes after they are released from prison

What do you think cause the problem and how should we resolve this issue?

Here is the sample answer

People have to go to jail because of the crimes that they have committed. Some of them will be released after serving their time in prison and will re-join the society. Being in a prison itself is harsh and difficult, but what ex-prisoners have to go through after getting back their freedom may even be more difficult.

While in prison, inmates can reflect on what they have done so wrong and try to redeem their mistakes by doing what is right. It is expected that they will find the right direction in life. However, things do not always go as planned. Many of those who were imprisoned find it hard to integrate into the society because of the stigma of ex-prisoners. Some people are avoiding them regardless of the fact that they have been fully rehabilitated. They also find it more difficult to get a job because of their criminal record. As a result, some of them are put in a very difficult situation where they become jobless and cannot support themselves and their family. Some of them are not so fortunate and end up committing other crimes due to financial difficulties. Besides the bad stereotypes, several ex-convicts also get involved in another crime because they are rejected by their family. Family could be the main reason why someone changes for the better, and rejection from those whom they love the most can be extremely harsh on former prisoners. Other than external factors, there is also an internal factor that make former inmates more prone to committing another felony. Several ex-felons feel like they have nothing to lose because they have lost their family, job opportunities, and trust from the society when they were put in jail. As a result, they may become a recidivist who spend years of going in and out of prison.

To overcome this issue, there has to be a thorough change in the correctional system. Instead of just punishing people, prisons should focus on rehabilitating them and helping them re-integrate into society. Vocational training program is one things that can help a former inmate rejoin society. In some prisons, inmates have the chance to learn occupational skills like sewing and carpentry. This will help them survive and thrive after they get their freedom back, because they can get a decent job or start a small business to support themselves. Stigmatization against ex-prisoners should also be stopped, especially when they have successfully avoided reoffending. Family and community should also be supportive, since the feeling of being left alone will turn someone into an outcast, making it more likely that they will engage in illegal activities.

It can be concluded that there are a lot of factors that can make an ex-prisoner more prone to committing another crime. To avoid this, there has to be some efforts to keep them away from prison, and one of the most viable solutions is to help ex-felons re-integrate into society.

Okay, now let's discuss some of the tips that we can use to maximize our score in vocabulary range and accuracy

Do not overuse certain word

I often see someone uses words such as like, really and very both in spoken and written English. This is a normal thing, but has to be avoided when taking IELTS test (or any other English Proficiency Test). We can replace the word like with words like such as, a case on point, or linking words like for example and for instance. Take a look at some examples below:

Original Sentence
Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills like sewing and carpentry, with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released

Let's say I want to avoid overusing the word like, I will have to find another word to replace it, or even rephrase the whole sentence.

Paraphrased Sentence

(1) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills such as sewing and carpentry, with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released

(2) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. For example, they can be taught sewing and carpentry with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released

(3) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. Sewing and carpentry training is a case on point. It is hoped that these skills can help ex-prisoners become more financially independent after being released

(4) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. For instance, they can be taught sewing and carpentry with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being releasedsewing and carpentry

Paraphrase words whenever possible

We have to try paraphrase words whenever possible, and this can only be done if you have a vast vocabulary. I don't have any specific tips for expanding vocabulary, except reading, making a list of new and difficult words, as well as using new words that you find in a passage. I know this method sounds like a very old school way of improving our vocabulary, but unlike grammar, vocabulary is not something that can be learned by a magic formula, you have to work hard for this one. If you don't feel like reading because it's too much of a burden for you, you can listen to news in English, listen to podcast, watch movies, and listen to your favorite songs and try to find as many new words as possible. After that, try to use that word in a sentence. When you find an opportunity to use that word in your essay, use it. That way, expanding vocabulary will be less of a burden because you learn it doing what you love.

As for me, I can expand my vocabulary by listening to podcasts alone. I really like listening to mystery and crime podcast on youtube. For me, it is a very fun activity. I don't quite realize just how many new words that I can learn only by listening to these podcasts, until very recently. It is more effortless to learn English by doing what we love rather than cramping our brain with words that we will soon forget.

Look at the complete essay below. I marked words that have similar meaning with different colors. Many of the colorful words that you find below is the result of listening to a lot of mystery and crime podcasts.

Do not use certain words that in academic writing

Sometimes, we unkowingly use words that are not supposed to be used in academic writing. There are some words that we have to avoid when doing IELTS Writing, here are some of the examples:

Contraction

The most common mistake that I often see is the use of contraction such as don't, doesn't, can't, isn't shouldn't, won't and some other contractions. The use of contractions is very common in spoken English, but not in academic writing.

Slang

Slang is also not allowed in academic writing. We may use words like sort of or kind of in real conversation, but academic writing requires us to use formal language and be more assertive, so these words definitely have to be avoided. There are other words that fall under the general category of informal words that we also have to avoid, such as kind (use type instead) and kid(s) (use child or children instead)

Cliché

You have to be direct and concise when writing an academic writing, so try avoiding expressions like in a blink of an eye (use immediately instead) or little did they know (replace it with there is a lack of awareness among...) or every rose has its thorn (the meaning is too general, you've got to be more specific). These expressions are commonly used in informal communication or creative/fictional writing, but not in an academic writing.

Redundancy

Avoid the use of unnecessary words when writing an academic writing can be pretty hard sometimes. Redundancy may be easily found during a proofreding, so I suggest you to spare some time to re-read your writing. Take a look at an example below:

As they read more books and learn new things at school, students' writing skill will also evolve over time

In the sentence above, the phrase over time doesn't really explain anything because the word evolve means develop gradually. The meaning of the sentence will not change even if the phrase is ommitted. Several redundancies may sound right when we first read or hear it, which makes it difficult to find especially if you write a pretty long essay. But if you pay a close attention to detail, you will know that certain word does not contribute anything to the meaning of a phrase or sentence and hence, should be deleted.

Subjective and Gendered Language

This is one of the most common mistakes that we see in an academic writing. Some people are so used to spoken communication (which is more likely to be casual and personal) and find it extremely difficult to switch to a formal and impersonal writing. I have seen a lot of people using Pronouns like I and we (which makes the writing more personal) as well as gendered language such as she, he, the man and the woman. To avoid this, we can use Pronoun they and some other words like one, someone, or a person. We can also use impersonal pronoun it. So, instead of writing:

We know that stigmatization is the main reason why ex-prisoners find it hard to rejoin the society

We should write:

It is believed that stigmatization is the main reason why ex-prisoners find it hard to rejoin the society

Unsophisticated Words

The key to a good writing is simplicity, but you should avoid overusing simple words because they may give an impression of a low-quality essay. Take a look at an example below.

It can be seen that there are a lot of children having a fever during the cold winter

The data indicates that there is an increasing trend of children having a mild fever during the cold winter

There is nothing wrong with the first sentence, but the second one is actually much better.

Avoid Certain Words

Stay away from words or phrases that signal uncertainty like seems like, looks like, feels like, etc. Also, avoid using lazy words like stuff, things, and so on and so forth, or et cetera. Two words that seem to be quite difficult to avoid are the words very and really. We tend to overuse these words so instead of writing:

- very good

- very cold

- really excited

- really hungry

Try using:

- excellent

- frigid

- eager

- starving

Changing the structure of a sentence

Sometimes, we simply can't paraphrase a word because there is no other word to replace it. In this case, we have to be a little bit more creative with out grammatical skill. For example, we can avoid using the same word over and over again by changing it into a Noun Clause. Take a look at an example below:

While in prison, inmates can reflect on what they have done so wrong and try to redeem their mistakes by doing what is right

Notice how I use both the words mistake and what the have done so wrong which actually mean the same thing. This is done when you have to paraphrase certain word but you have run out of options. The same thing can also be done using phrase, like some of the examples below:

Inmates can learn occupational skills to help them become independent and successfully re-integrate into the society

Inmates can learn occupational skills in order to become more independent and successfully re-integrate into the society

Inmates can learn occupational skills so that they successfully re-integrate into the society and become more independent

Inmates can learn occupational skills with a hope that they will become more independent and sucessfully re-integrate into the society

If you pay attention to the sentences above, you notice that all of them explain the goal of learning occupational skills for inmates. I can explain this idea using a variety of grammatical form (to infinitive, prepositional phrase, adverbial clause, etc) so I don't have to rely on my lexical skill (which sometimes gives us very limited options).

IELTS Writing Task 2 - Template

What's up, readers. Now I'm back to continue material on IELTS Writing. We have discussed all of the graphs in IELTS Writing Task 1, and today we are going to start our discussion on IELTS Writing Task 2. The discussion will cover some of the most common topics as well as various types of questions in Writing Task 2. In each material, writing tips (ranging from how ideas should be structured to how transition between sentences and paragraph should be written) will be given. As usual, there will also be a sample writing Task 2 that will help you grasp the basic idea of IELTS Writing Task 2. Okay, let's begin our discussion using a sample topic below:

Some people say that knowledge and information should be made available to public, while some others argue that important academic research and information should not be given for free. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

For today's material, I would like to focus on the structure of IELTS Writing Task 2. Like IELTS Writing Task 1, we also need to arrange ideas well and put them in a logical order by the help of cohesive device or transition sentence. But, we are going to focus more on the writing template today, and will discuss the other elements of Writing Task 2 in the next articles. The first thing that we have to do when doing the IELTS Writing Task 2 is to writing the introduction paragraph. Here, we are going to give a background information of the topic that we are discussing (what are the pros and cons of sharing knowledge and information?), and answer the questions (why does it happen and how should we address the issue?), before concluding our discussion in the last paragraph. In general, the structure of our IELTS Writing Task 2 will probably look like this:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Structure

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

- Paraphrase the original title

- Thesis statement

- Transition to Paragraph 2

Paragraph 2 (Scientific Research)

- Advancement of science (pros)

- Science plays an important role in eradication of hunger, disease, etc (pros)

- Certain information can be dangerous if it falls on the wrong hands (cons)

- National interest may be at stake (cons)

Paragraph 3 (Business Research)

- Information sharing is more flexible in business because trademark is protected by the law

- To certain extent, information sharing is necessary for the sake of product knowledge

Paragraph 4 (Conclusion)

Paragraph 1

STEP 1

Okay, now let's start working on the first paragraph. Paraphrase the original title by replacing the words and/or changing the structure of the sentence

Original Title

Paraphrased Title

Knowledge should serve the interest of the public and must be accessible to everyone. However, some people argue that some information is too valuable to be shared for free.

STEP 2

After paraphrasing the original statement, we can write our thesis statement, which also becomes transition sentence to paragraph two.

Thesis Statement

In my vantage point, giving access to knowledge and information for the betterment of society will be much advantageous, although some restrictions may apply.

Paragraph 2

Step 3

Explain the pros and cons and then give some detailed information using reason and examples. Because the question says that we have to explain both views, we need to outline the pros and cons of information sharing.

It is generally believed that academic research should be open and extensible [main idea]. If a scientific discovery is published in an international journal and widely accessible, scientists will be able to exchange ideas, collaborate, and make necessary improvement on the already-existing discovery. Collaboration among scientists from different fields and specialties is important for the advancement of science [supporting argument]. Likewise, scientific research that has significant impact on human’s life such as medical science and sustainable agriculture should also be made available, considering their roles in eradicating disease and hunger [example]. However, it is undeniable that certain information should be confidential because it is too sensitive or too dangerous to be disclosed [main idea]. Military research is a case on point [example]. Much of the information related to military research is highly confidential because such information is extremely dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Besides, it is more likely that such information will be used solely for the national interest although collaboration is still possible when two or more countries are trying to address similar issues such as terrorism [supporting argument].

Paragraph 3

Step 4

After explaining the pros and cons, we can give our opinion. In this paragraph, I will focus more on the positive impact of information sharing.

Unlike scientific research, business has more flexibility when it comes to information sharing [main idea]. Business owners can explain what materials are used in their product, how the product works, and why the product gains fame and success [example]. There is a very little possibility of such information being misused by their business competitors, because trademark is highly protected by the law. Failing to abide by the law can result in a severe legal and financial damage, which is why even the biggest competitor will not be careless enough to steal patented materials [supporting argument]. In fact, some of the information related to commercial goods has to be included in the packaging or advertisement because it is part of the product knowledge [supporting argument].

Paragraph 4

Step 5

The last thing that we need to do is making a conclusion. We are going to restate our points in paragraph 2 and 3. So far, we know that it is important for information to be shared, regardless of the negative precautions, so the conclusion will look like this:

In conclusion, it is true some information should be made available for the sake of the greater good. However, it is also inevitable that certain information should be kept a secret if the harm outweighs the advantages

The complete IELTS Writing Task 2 will look like this:

Knowledge should serve the interest of the public and must be accessible to everyone. However, some people argue that some information is too valuable to be shared for free. In my vantage point, giving access to knowledge and information for the betterment of society will be much advantageous, although some restrictions may apply.

It is generally believed that academic research should be open and extensible. If a scientific discovery is published in an international journal and widely accessible, scientists will be able to exchange ideas, collaborate, and make necessary improvement on the already-existing discovery. Collaboration among scientists from different fields and specialties is important for the advancement of science. Likewise, scientific research that has significant impact on human’s life such as medical science and sustainable agriculture should also be made available, considering their roles in eradicating disease and hunger. However, it is undeniable that certain information should be confidential because it is too sensitive or too dangerous to be disclosed. Military research is a case on point. Much of the information related to military research is highly confidential because such information is extremely dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Besides, it is more likely that such information will be used solely for the national interest although collaboration is still possible when two or more countries are trying to address similar issues such as terrorism.

Unlike scientific research, business has more flexibility when it comes to information sharing. Business owners can explain what materials are used in their product, how the product works, and why the product gains fame and success. There is a very little possibility of such information being misused by their business competitors, because trademark is highly protected by the law. Failing to abide by the law can result in a severe legal and financial damage, which is why even the biggest competitor will not be careless enough to steal patented materials. In fact, some of the information related to commercial goods has to be included in the packaging or advertisement because it is part of the product knowledge.

Note: Thoughts and opinions in this article are those of the author. The writing sample is used as an illustration and may contain some inaccuracies. Please read our disclaimer

That's our today's material, guys. I've got to tell you though, the writing template above may not be the best template there is. There are better ways of doing IELTS Writing Task 2 for sure, but I can guarantee that the one that I explained here is one of the simplest and easiest ways of doing IELTS Writing Task 2. If you have any question, suggestion or even criticism, please write it down on the comment below. Share this post if you think it's helpful. See you on the next post with another material on IELTS Writing Task 2. See ya ✋