Task 1
Writin g
UNI T
INTRODUCTION
1
In Task 1 of the IELTS Writing test, you are often asked to describe data from a chart or table. In this unit, you will learn how to write a paragraph where you describe the module of the IELTS test, using data from a table.
Getting ready to Write – Model 1 Total time Tasks
Words Time Topics Marking criteria
IELTS WRITING TEST 1 hour 1 Describing the information from a chart, tablen, or process diagram
2 Writing an essay discussing an issue such as education or the environment, illustrating with examples from own experience At least 150 words At least 250 words Approximately 20 minutes Approximately 40 minutes Topics of general interest – e.g. the environemtn, education, social issues Grammar, vocabulary, ideas, and coherence
1. Look at the table and discuss the questions below with a partner. a. How long does the IELTS Writing test last? b. How many tasks does the IELTS Writing test have? c. What do you do in the Task 1 of the test? d. How many words must you write? e. How many minutes must you take? f. What do you do in the Task 2 of the test? g. How many words must you write? h. How many minutes must you take? i. What topics will you write about?
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j. How will your writing be marked? 2. Read Model 1 below. Check your answers to the questions. Model 1
The Writing test in IELTS takes one hour, and candiates must complete two tasks. In the first task, they have to write a report that describes the information from a chart, table, or process diagram. They must write at least 150 words, and they should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Task 2 is an essay whrer candidates must discuss an issue such as education or the environement. They need to illustrate their answer with examples which come from their own experience. In task 2, which should take about 40 minutes, they must write at least 250 words. The marking criteria include grammar, vocabulary, ideas and coherence. For the IELTS test, it is importatnt that students learn useful vocabulary, correct
Key Vocabulary 3. Check the meanings of the words below in both English-English dictionary and EnglishVietnamese dictionary. candidate
discuss
issue
complete
length
compare
environment
length
provide
task
criteria
illustrate
passage
section
experience
describe
include
4. Complete the sentences, using the words below. -
You may need to change word forms and suffixes
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You may need to use some words more than once
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You will not need all the words
candidate
discuss
issue
complete
compare
environment
length
provide
criteria
illustrate
passage
section
describe
include
experience
task
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a. _______________ for the IELTS exam must bring their ID card with them to the test. b. In both the Speaking and Writing tests, you will need to_______________ your answers with examples from your own_______________ . c. In some IELTS Writing topics, you are asked to _______________ two or more things. You may also be asked to write a _______________ of a chart or diagram. d. It is important to _______________ some data when you describe a chart or graph. e. The Listening test has four _______________ , and the Reading test has three _______________. f. Writing _______________ include _______________ a chart or table ad writing a longer essay about a social issue. g. The Speaking test _______________ a one- to two-minute talk. h.
You will be _______________ with all the paper and pens you need in the test.
i. The Speaking and Writing tests are marked according to four different_______________. j. One common topic in the IELTS test is _______________ problems.
Essential Grammar In English, we use the present simple tense for expressing facts. Present simple verbs are used aproximately 75% of the time in English. The verb must agree with the subject. 5. Look at the sentences below. -
Put the verb into the correct tense for the sentence
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Pay attention to he subect and then decide if it is singular or plural
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Then, check subject-verb agreement
a. People in western countries (speak) English. b. The number of people who (speak) English is increasing in the world today. c. IELTS (be) a test which (focus) on using English, rather than grammar itself. d. Preparation for the IELTS test (include) speaking, listening, reading, and writing. e. Thousands of people (take) the IELTS test every year. f. English tests such as IELTS (be) very popular in Vietnam.
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g. Last year, students in many provinces (take) the exam. h. The number of IELTS centers n Vietnam (be) increasing all the time. i. A new center (be) built in Hanoi recently. j. Successful candidates (work) hard and (do) a lot of practice everyday. 6. Turn the notes below into sentences. a. English _________ _________global language. b. It _________ about 1,500 years old. c. English _________ words from German, French, Latin, _________ other _________ such as Chinese. d. English _________ the official _________ of science and business. e. English _________ the most common language on _________ Internet. f. There _________ 375 million native (first language) speakers of English and the same _________ of second language _________. g. There _________ 750 million learners of English in the world today. 7. Turn the sentences above into a short paragraph below. English _________ language _________ 1,500 _________. It _________ words_________, _________, _________ and_________ such as _________. It _________ the _________ of _________ and business, _________ also the _________ on the ________. There _________ 375 _________ (first language) _________ of _________ and ______________ second language _________. As well, _________ 750 million _________ of English _________ today.
Guided Writing 8. Discuss the information in the table with a partner and write a paragraph about it, using the question below it. Total time Reading passages
Questions
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IELTS READING TEST One hour Three reading passages Total of 2,000 – 2,750 words University-level material – general interest Newspapers, books, or magazines Sometimes including diagrams or illustrations Forty questions Writing answers on the answer sheet Each question = 1 mark
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- Short answers, multiple choice, gap-fill, matching a. How long does the IELTS Reading test last? b. How many passages are there in the test? c. What is the total length of the three reading passages? d. At what level is the material in the passages? e. What types of topics are used? f. Where do the passages come from? g. What may they include? h. How many questions must candidates answer? i. Where do they write their answers? j. How much is each question worth? k. What types of questions are included? 9. Now, check your writing with Model 2 below. Model 2
The reading test in IELTS lasts one hour. In the test, there are three passages which have a total length of 2,000 to 2,750 words. The material in the passages is at university level, and the topics are of general interst. The passages come from newspapers, magazines, or books. They sometimes include graphs or illustrations. During the test, candidate must answer forty questions, and they must write their aswers on the answer sheet which is provided. Each question is worth one mark. Question types include multiple choice, short answers, gap-fill, and matching.
Writing Practice 10. Write a paragraph about the following table. Total time Parts Time Types of answer Topics
IELTS SPEAKING TEST 11 – 14 minutes 1 2 4 – 5 minutes 1 – 2 minutes Short answers Monologue Shopping, everyday habits, food, clothes
A famous person, a vacation, a newspaper article
3 4 – 5 minutes Dicussion Similar topic to Part 2 – candidates need to describe, compare, talk
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about changes, future trends
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