
The IELTS Writing exam consists of two parts: Task 1 and Task 2. For the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you’ll craft a letter addressing a specific situation—be it requesting, suggesting, or explaining details. These letters can be formal, semi-formal, or informal. On the other hand, IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 involves writing a report based on the given diagram. This diagram might be a pie chart, bar graph, line graph, process, or map. You are advised to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and write at least 150 words.
IELTS Writing exam task 2, common to both Academic and General IELTS, requires you to write an essay. Here, you’ll suggest solutions, share opinions, and justify them using relevant facts or examples. This task demands 40 minutes and at least 250 words.
Conciseness is key in your answers. Examiners prioritize topic-specific vocabulary over generic phrases. Using memorized responses will lead to lower scores as examiners can quickly identify them.
IELTS Writing Test Marking Criteria
The key components assessed in the IELTS Writing test are:
- Grammar and Accuracy
- Task Response
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
Lengthy sentences packed with unnecessary words won’t improve your Lexical Resource score. Instead, using precise, topic-related vocabulary can help boost your ranking in this criterion.
What is Concise Writing?
Concise writing means expressing your ideas clearly using the fewest possible words. Let’s explore how to write answers that are brief yet impactful.
How to Write Concise Answers?
1. Remove Redundant Words
Eliminate repetitive phrases and unnecessary words to make your sentences clearer. Tautologies, where the same information is repeated, can take up space and confuse the reader.
Example:
Wordy: Each and every decision must be carefully considered.
Concise: Every decision must be carefully considered.
2. Strengthen Weak Adjectives
Replace weak or vague adjectives with stronger, more descriptive ones. Expanding your vocabulary can help you convey ideas with fewer words.
Example:
Wordy: The painting was very beautiful.
Concise: The painting was stunning.
3. Avoid Filler Words
Filler words don’t add value to your sentence and can often be omitted or replaced for clarity.
Example:
Wordy: It is a fact that innovation drives progress.
Concise: Innovation drives progress.
Wordy: This is an idea that has potential.
Concise: This idea has potential.
4. Use Active Sentences
The active voice is usually more direct and concise than the passive voice. While passive constructions are valid, overusing them can make sentences unnecessarily long.
Example:
Wordy: The decision was made by the team.
Concise: The team made the decision.
Wordy: The cake was being decorated by Sarah.
Concise: Sarah decorated the cake.
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