IELTS Academic Writing Syllabus

Writing syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Writing in IELTS Academic, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Writing Test Overview

   2 topics

   • Task 1 and Task 2 Requirements
   • Assessment Criteria
2. 2

   Task 1: Describing Visual Data

   5 topics

   • Line Graphs
   • Bar Charts and Pie Charts
   • Tables
   • Process Diagrams
   • Maps
3. 3

   Task 1 Structure and Language

   4 topics

   • Writing an Effective Introduction (Paraphrasing)
   • Writing an Overview
   • Selecting and Grouping Key Features
   • Data Description and Comparison Language
4. 4

   Task 2: The Academic Essay

   3 topics

   • Essay Question Types
   • Understanding the Question and Task Response
   • Brainstorming and Planning Ideas
5. 5

   Essay Structure and Development

   4 topics

   • Introduction and Thesis Statement
   • Body Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
   • Developing and Supporting Arguments
   • Writing a Conclusion
6. 6

   Coherence and Cohesion

   3 topics

   • Paragraphing and Logical Organisation
   • Linking Words and Cohesive Devices
   • Referencing and Substitution
7. 7

   Grammar and Vocabulary for Writing

   3 topics

   • Sentence Variety and Complex Structures
   • Precision and Range of Vocabulary
   • Punctuation and Common Errors
8. 8

   Editing and Timing

   3 topics

   • Allocating Time Between Tasks
   • Proofreading and Self-correction
   • Meeting the Word Count

Writing flashcards for IELTS Academic

19 of 50 cards from the Writing deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the minimum word counts for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 and Task 2?

   Task 1 requires at least 150 words and Task 2 requires at least 250 words. Writing under the minimum is penalized under Task Achievement/Response.

2. How should the 60 minutes of the IELTS Writing test be divided between the two tasks?

   Spend about 20 minutes on Task 1 and about 40 minutes on Task 2, because Task 2 is longer and carries more weight.

3. How are Task 1 and Task 2 weighted in the overall IELTS Writing band score?

   Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1: Task 2 contributes $\frac{2}{3}$ of the Writing score and Task 1 contributes $\frac{1}{3}$.

4. What does IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 require you to do?

   Summarize and report the main features of visual information (a graph, chart, table, diagram, or map) in your own words, making comparisons where relevant — without giving opinions.

5. What does IELTS Writing Task 2 require you to do?

   Write a formal discursive essay responding to a point of view, argument, or problem, presenting a clear position with supported ideas and relevant examples.

6. Name the four assessment criteria used to mark IELTS Writing and state their weighting.

   Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy — each worth $25\%$ of the score.

7. What is the difference between 'Task Achievement' and 'Task Response' in the IELTS marking criteria?

   Task Achievement applies to Task 1 and measures how accurately and fully you report the key features of the visual data; Task Response applies to Task 2 and measures how completely you answer all parts of the question with a clear, developed position.

8. What does the 'Coherence and Cohesion' criterion assess in IELTS Writing?

   Coherence is the logical organization and progression of ideas (clear paragraphing, logical order); cohesion is the linking of ideas using devices such as connectors, pronoun reference, and substitution — used accurately and not mechanically.

9. What does the 'Lexical Resource' criterion assess?

   The range, precision, and appropriateness of your vocabulary, including less common words, accurate collocation, correct spelling and word formation, and successful paraphrasing.

10. What type of information does a line graph typically show, and what language does it therefore require?

    A line graph shows changes and trends over time, so it requires trend language (rise, fall, fluctuate, remain stable) plus time expressions and appropriate tenses.

11. List common verbs for upward, downward, and stable movements when describing a line graph.

    Upward: rise, increase, grow, climb, soar. Downward: fall, decrease, decline, drop, plummet. Stable/other: remain steady, level off, plateau, fluctuate, peak, dip.

12. Which verb tenses should you use when describing a line graph showing data from 1990 to 2010, and one with projections to 2030?

    Use the past simple for completed past periods (e.g., 'sales rose between 1990 and 2010') and future forms or prediction language for projections (e.g., 'is expected to reach', 'will have doubled by 2030').

13. What is the key difference between the purpose of a bar chart and a pie chart in Task 1?

    A bar chart compares quantities across different categories (and sometimes over time), while a pie chart shows the proportions or percentage shares of a whole, which must always sum to $100\%$.

14. Give three ways to express the value $25\%$ when describing a pie chart.

    'A quarter', 'one in four', or 'accounted for $25\%$ of the total'. Similarly $\frac{1}{3}$ ≈ 'a third' and $50\%$ = 'half'.

15. How does the language differ between a 'static' chart (one point in time) and a 'dynamic' chart (change over time)?

    Static charts require comparison language (more than, the highest, twice as much as), while dynamic charts require trend language (increased, fell, doubled). Some tasks need both.

16. What is the correct strategy for describing a table with many figures in Task 1?

    Do not describe every number. Select the key features — highest and lowest values, significant differences, notable patterns or exceptions — and group and compare them logically.

17. What grammatical voice dominates process diagram descriptions, and why?

    The passive voice (e.g., 'the plastic is melted and then moulded'), because the agent performing each step is unknown or unimportant — the focus is on the actions and stages.

18. What sequencing language is essential for describing a process diagram?

    Ordering connectors such as 'first', 'next', 'then', 'after that', 'subsequently', 'at the following stage', and 'finally', to show the order of stages clearly.

19. What should the overview of a process diagram contain?

    The total number of stages, where the process begins and ends, and possibly whether it is natural or man-made and whether it is linear or cyclical — but no step-by-step detail.

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Planning Writing for IELTS Academic

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