1.  Task Achievement (TA)

The British Council advises us to factor in Task Achievement (Task Response) by simply covering the requirements of the task:

If you are taking the Academic IELTS, you need to present a clear overview of the main trends, differences or stages:

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the key features and make comparisons   where relevant.

However, if you are planning to sit the IELTS General Test, you are expected to present a clear purpose with a consistent and appropriate tone. All of the bullet points in the prompts need to be clearly presented and extended.

Your company recently sent you to a conference. The conference was very useful and you would like to give a presentation to your colleagues about it.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

◆Explain why the conference was useful

◆ Say what your presentation would be about

◆ Suggest why this presentation would interest your colleagues

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2. Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and Cohesion (CC) for a Band 7 Task 1 means the logical organization of information and ideas with a clear progression throughout the task. A wide range of cohesive devices (e.g. transition words) should be appropriately used throughout the essay to show logical relations (contrast, addition, sequence, conclusion, importance, emphasis, etc.) between and among thought groups.

Here are a number of cohesive devices:

Contrast: conversely / on the contrary / nonetheless / however

Conclusion: in a nutshell / in short / in sum / all in all

Addition: plus / moreover / furthermore

Condition: if / unless / otherwise

Equation: or / alternatively / correspondingly

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3. Lexical Resources

Lexical Resources (LR) as the third criterion is of great significance. A sufficient range of vocabulary together with some less commonly used lexical items are expected to be flexibly and precisely used in a Band 7 Task 1 Essay. Adequate awareness of style and collocations should also be demonstrated.

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4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) is another criterion that needs to be met. The writer should use a wide variety of sentence structures (complex sentences, reduced sentences, adverbial clauses, etc.) with full flexibility and accuracy. The writer needs to demonstrate proper grammar and punctuation.

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Below you can find two sample Task 1 Essays for both Modules (Academic IELTS and General IELTS):  

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below shows the total number of pupils studying each year at the Independent Thinkers’ School in Australia from 1990 to 2015.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the key features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Total number of pupils in four regions from 1980 to 2005

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The table depicts the population of students enrolling in various branches of the Independent Thinkers’ School (hereinafter ITS) in four Australian cities over a 25-year period between 1990 and 2015. It is particularly evident that there are notable differences in the size of the schools in the given areas.

Numbers at the oldest school, based in Melbourne, remained consistently high throughout the period. There was a dramatic rise in the first five years, and the population of students more than doubled during this time. The numbers continued to rise significantly up to 2000, after which time they fluctuated between 1201 and 1570. The most significant growth, however, came about in the Canberra Branch. Since its establishment in 1995, student figures rose in this branch by over seven times so that it became the most popular ITS in Australia in 2015.

As for the newer branches, located in Sydney and Perth, the figures were considerably smaller than those reported for their older counterparts. In Sydney, despite relatively high numbers of students in the first years of opening, student enrolment figures dipped on a steady basis every five years. By contrast, although the newest branch in Perth began with very low figures, and a comparatively slow improvement in the first 5-year period, it saw a rather dramatic rise between 2010 and 2015.

By and large, the oldest branches remained the most popular among students.

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