In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, all candidates are asked to describe information presented in a particular graph (bar, line, or pie graph), table, chart, or process (how something works, how something is done) and to present the description in their own words.
Candidates are required to write at least 150 words which are approximately from 10 to you 15 sentences (200 words suggested maximum). Writing task 1 accounts for 1/3 of your total writing score.
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Band Scores and Marking
Criteria The IELTS examiner will mark you on: ·
- Task Achievement (25%).
- Coherence and Cohesion (25%).
- Lexical Resource (25%).
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%).
The examiner will give you a band score for each individual criterion above and then your final score for writing task 1 is the average of the 4 in the IELTS Writing test.
Academic Writing Task 1 Performance descriptors
1. Task Achievement / Task Response:
- How well you answer all parts of the task
- You must focus on key points and support every point with evidence.
- Meet the required words count (at least 150 words)
2. Coherence and Cohesion:
- How well-organized your writing is, how well it flows from beginning to end
- Paragraphing and correctly use of words like “however” and “in addition” are essential. Your ideas must be clear
and there should be a logical progression from beginning to end.
3. Lexical Resource (vocabulary)
- How varied, accurate and appropriate your use of vocabulary is (don’t repeat the words, bring academic
vocabularies in your writing by using adjectives and adverbs) - Your spelling must be correct (minimize errors in spelling and word formation). Demonstrating the ability to
paraphrase and use high-level vocabulary correctly is important.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- How varied, accurate and appropriate your use of grammar is
- Using a wide range of sentence structures will help your writing more academically (using complex sentences with
both dependent and independent clauses). Of course, you will not get a high score if you make basic grammar
errors (e.g. Verb endings, plurals, etc.). Have a control of using punctuation (commas, periods), understand when
and how to use it correctly.