Archives for September 2015

IELTS Writing Scoring: Are task 1 and task 2 equal value?

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Learn about how your IELTS writing test is scored. Many students ask me if writing task 1 and task 2 are worth the same points and how the examiner gives a final total score. This page will explain how your score is calculated for IELTS writing.

Will I get the same score for task 1 and task 2? Are they marked together?

No. Writing task 1 and writing task 2 are marked individually. The marking criteria are not exactly the same. The examiner will give you a band score for writing task 1 and a band score for writing task 2. After that, your final IELTS writing band score is calculated.

Are IELTS writing task 1 and writing task 2 worth the same points?

No, they are not. Writing task 2 is worth more than writing task 1. You get twice the points for writing task 2 than you get for writing task 1. In other words, writing task 2 is about 60% of your marks and writing task 1 is about 30%.

Example of IELTS Writing Scoring:

For example:

Writing task 1 = band score 8

Writing Task 2 = band score 6

Total Writing Score = 6.5

You can calculate your own score:  8 + 6 + 6 = 20/3 = 6.66. Take one task 1 score and two task 2 scores and divide by 3.

Please note that these scores are only estimated calculations. I do not have access to the precise scoring used by IELTS. Your estimated score will be accurate within 0.5 band score.

Will IELTS tell you your score for task 1 and task 2?

No. It’s a shame but IELTS don’t release that information. So you won’t know what score you got for which task. You will only be told the total final score for all your writing.

Are writing task 1 and writing task 2 marked using the same criteria?

No. Each writing task 1 is scored using 4 assessment criteria. Each of the criteria is worth 25% of your marks for that task. 3 of those marking criteria are the same for task 1 and task 2. But one of the marking criteria is different See below:

  • Task Achievement (Writing Task 1 Only): Information, Overview, Key Features
  • Task Response (Writing Task 2 Only): Ideas, Addressing the Task, Conclusion, Developing Ideas
  • Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphing, Linking and Referencing
  • Grammatical Range & Accuracy: Sentence Structures, Tenses, Punctuation, Number of Errors
  • Lexical Resource: Vocabulary, Collocations, Spelling, Number of Errors

Differences between Band Scores 5 to 8 & How to Improve your Scores:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Scoring & Tips

IELTS Writing Task 1 Scoring & Tips

All IELTS Band Scores Explained

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Reported 19 Sept 2015

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Below is an IELTS writing task 1 table and 3 pie charts reported last week on 19th Sept. I will post a model answer later this week. Follow the link to see a model of the task 1 below: table with 3 pie charts.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Table 3 Pie Charts 2015

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IELTS Speaking Part 1: Reported Topic of Snacks

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Below are the IELTS speaking part 1 questions with some model answer for the topic of snacks currently being used in the speaking test.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Snacks Questions

  • Do you like snacks?
  • How often do you eat snacks?
  • How do you choose what snacks to eat?
  • Did you ever eat snacks when you were a child?
  • If you had a child, would you allow your child to eat snacks?
  • What kinds of snacks are popular in your country?
  • Do you think snacks are healthy?
  • Do you think all snacks are junk food?
  • Do you think eating snacks is good for your health?
  • Have the types of snacks people eat changed over the last few decades in your country?

IELTS Speaking Part 1: Snacks Model Answers

There are two optional answers for each question. If you want to post your own answers, put them in the comments box below.

Q) Do you like snacks?

A) No, not really. I generally prefer to eat at meal times rather than graze between meals.

A) Yes, I do. Around mid morning I usually have some fruit and then about 3pm I have some biscuits or something like that.

Q) What kinds of snacks are popular in your country?

A) Well, I guess that most people eat junk food like crisps, chocolate and biscuits for their snacks.

A) I suppose official workers mainly eat junk food like biscuits but other people sometimes eat fruit or something healthier.

Q) Do you think eating snacks is good for your health?

A) I think that if you’re hungry, it’s perfectly fine to have some fruit but if people eat junk food between meals, then it’s really unhealthy.

A) I think all kind of snacking between main meals is bad for your health. If people avoided snacking, they would be much healthier and less over weight.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Tips

  • You can’t ask the examiner to change the topic.
  • Even if you don’t like snacks, the examiner will continue to ask you questions about the topic.
  • Try to give examples of snacks.
  • Snacks are any type of food that is eaten between meals – they might be healthy or unhealthy depending on what the person chooses to eat.
  • Snack is both a noun and a verb.
  • Part 1 answers can’t be very long but you should at least try to give one long complex sentence in your answer.

IELTS Speaking Recommended Pages:

Speaking Part 1 Topics and Questions

IELTS Speaking Test Practice Video with Model Answers

IELTS Speaking Tips: How long should my answer be?

All IELTS Speaking Lessons, Tips, Model Answers & Free Videos

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IELTS Listening Practice: Building the Eiffel Tower

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This IELTS listening practice is based on sentence completion questions and diagram labelling. You need to prepare all questions before listening.

For the sentence completion, check what type of answer you need for each question and underline key words that will help you identify the answer when you hear it. For the diagrams, read the instructions carefully to find the type of answer you need.

IELTS Listening: The Eiffel Tower

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences using no more than two words and/or numbers.

  1. In 1884, two …………… came up with the concept of building tall tower.
  2. The plan was for the tower to be ……….. feet in height.
  3. Assembly of the supports took ……………. to finish.
  4. During construction, precision of work was measured to …………. of a millimetre.
  5. The construction team has responsibility for ……………. to ………… workers.

Questions 6 – 7

Label the diagram below with the correct dates using no more than one word and/or numbers.IELTS Listening Eiffel Tower

 

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers
  1. engineers / chief engineers (either answer is correct)
  2. 1000
  3. 22 months (the number can be written as a hyphenated word. The word “months” must be plural.)
  4. a tenth (“a” is needed for the answer to be correct. All sentences must be grammatically correct when completed)
  5. 150    300 (both numbers are needed for the correct answer. No punctuation is required between them)
  6. 15 March 1888 / 15th March 1888 (the full date is required)
  7. 12 March  1889 / 12th March 1889 (the full date is required)
Transcript

The plan to build a tower 300 metres high was conceived as part of preparations for the World’s Fair of 1889. Two chief engineers in Eiffel’s company, had the idea for a very tall tower in June 1884. The tower project was a bold extension of this principle – equivalent to the symbolic figure of 1000 feet.

The assembly of the supports began on July 1, 1887 and was completed twenty-two months later. All the elements were prepared in Eiffel’s factory located  on the outskirts of Paris. Each of the 18,000 pieces used to construct the Eiffel Tower were specifically designed and calculated, traced out to an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre and then put together forming new pieces around five metres each. A team of constructors, who had worked on the great metal viaduct projects, were responsible for the 150 to 300 workers on site assembling this gigantic set.

Photographic evidence at the time showed the four stages of the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The first photo was taken after the construction of the first floor on the 15th March 1888 and the following photos were taken over a period of about a year. The constructions were finally finished on the 12th March 1889 which is when the last photo was taken. On the narrow platform at the top, Eiffel received his decoration from the Legion of Honour.

read more about the Eiffel Tower Construction 

Vocabulary
  • conceived = thought up / planned
  • bold = daring / courageous
  • construct = build
  • calculated = measured
  • traced = copied
  • on site – at the location of the building
  • gigantic = huge
  • finished / completed

 

More IELTS Listening

IELTS Listening: 25 Essential Tips

IELTS Multiple Choice Tips

IELTS Listening: Numbers Practice

IELTS Listening: All Lessons, Tips and Practice

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Employment Competition Essay Ideas

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This IELTS essay question was reported in April 2015 and again in January 2023. So, for all essay questions on my site, regardless of the date of publication, please remember that essay questions and topics repeat in writing task 2. This topic is about the employment of older people and the problems this creates. Also note that this page is about ideas that you can use in your essay for this topic. It isn’t a model essay. You can’t write bullet points in your essays.

IELTS Essay Question

Nowadays, more and more younger people need to compete with older people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause? What would you suggest as a solution?

This essay question focuses on younger people. The instructions ask for problems and solution. Always note whether you are asked to give the causes or the problems.

IELTS Essay Ideas

Problems caused by young and old people competing for work

  • young people will have to compete with older people who have more experience which might mean some young people fail to find work
  • with greater competition for jobs comes more unemployment
  • high unemployment in young people can cause unrest in society leading to problems such as crime
  • if old people are not able to compete with young people, they may not be able to get a job
    • without adequate financial means to support themselves, old people may be thrown into poverty
    • with a growing world population of elderly people, this can be a huge financial crisis

Solutions for young people competing for work

  • one effective solution could be to provide sufficient social benefits for older people to allow them to retire without loosing their standard of living
  • by fixing a clear retirement age over which no one can be employed, it will ensure that the young do not need to compete against older people for work
  • have a fixed quota of jobs set aside for people under a certain age and over a certain age to avoid so much competition
  • another possible answer is to offer a job share between elderly and young people so that both groups can gain some form of employment
  • alternatively, older people could be employed purely to pass on their knowledge and experience to the young rather than taking their positions at work

Alternative Essay Question

Nowadays, more and more older people compete with younger people for the same jobs.

What are the reasons for this? What would you suggest as a solution?

This essay question focuses on older people. You must provide the causes (reasons) why older people compete and also solutions for this situation.

Essay Ideas

Reasons why old people compete with young people for work

  • older people continue being fit for work for longer so wish to continue working
  • some older people do not have enough money put aside for their pensions so must work
  • some elderly people do not want such a long tedious retirement and wish to continue working
  • as older people work for longer, there are less jobs available for the younger generation
  • increased life expectancy raise the proportions of working elderly people

Solutions :

The solutions are the same as given above.

Recommended

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