IELTS Writing Practice
Academic Task 1 charts, General Training letters and Task 2 essays of every type, timed, with model answers and examiner-style notes.
Academic Task 1 20 min · 150+ words
-
B2Line Graph
Time Spent Online by Age
Describe a line graph showing how many hours a day four age groups spent online between 2010 and 2025. Practise overviews and trend language.
-
B2Line Graph
Cycling in Three Cities
Describe how daily bicycle journeys changed in three cities over 24 years, including two cities overtaking a third.
-
B2Bar Chart
Household Spending
Describe a bar chart comparing average weekly household spending in five categories in 2015 and 2025.
-
B2Bar Chart
Recycling Rates in Four Countries
Compare household recycling rates in four countries in three different years, grouping the countries by how fast they improved.
-
B2Process
How Recycled Paper Is Made
Describe the stages in the process of turning waste paper into new paper, using the passive and sequencing language.
-
B2Table
Cinema Tickets in Four Countries
Compare the number of cinema tickets sold in four countries in 2014 and 2024, identifying the biggest changes and the overall pattern.
-
C1Pie Charts
Electricity Sources
Compare two pie charts showing how a country produced its electricity in 2005 and 2025.
-
C1Table
Museum Visitors
Summarise a table showing visitor numbers at three museums over five years, including a sharp fall and recovery.
General Training Task 1 20 min · 150+ words
-
B1Letter
Recommending a Course to a Friend
Write an informal letter recommending a course you took to a friend, with reasons and practical advice.
-
B2Letter
Problem With Your Flat
Write a semi-formal letter to your landlord about a problem in your flat that hasn't been fixed. Cover all three bullet points.
-
B2Letter
Complaint About Road Works
Write a formal letter to the local council about noisy road works near your home, explaining the effect and asking for action.
-
B2Letter
Thanking a Host Family
Write an informal thank-you letter to a family you stayed with abroad, mentioning highlights and inviting them to visit you.
Task 2 Essay 40 min · 250+ words
-
B2Problem and Solution
Traffic Congestion
Explain the causes of traffic congestion in cities and propose practical solutions in a well-organised essay.
-
B2Opinion
Should All Children Learn to Cook?
Agree or disagree that every schoolchild should be taught to cook, with a clear position and developed examples.
-
C1Opinion
Should University Be Free?
Write an opinion essay on whether governments should pay for all university education, with a clear position throughout.
-
C1Discussion
City or Countryside for Children?
Discuss both views on whether children are better off growing up in a city or in the countryside, and give your own opinion.
-
C1Two-Part Question
Living Alone
Answer two direct questions: why more people live alone, and whether this is a positive or negative development.
-
C1Advantages and Disadvantages
Working From Home
Discuss whether the advantages of working from home outweigh the disadvantages, giving a clear judgement.
Questions people ask
How this part of the exam works
How it is marked
Each task is marked on four criteria, each worth a quarter of the score:
- Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2): did you do what the task asked?
- Coherence and Cohesion: is it organised and easy to follow?
- Lexical Resource: range and accuracy of vocabulary
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1, so don't spend too long on Task 1.
Read first
The charts in our Task 1 practice use invented data, so you practise the language without worrying about real statistics.
How many words should I write in IELTS Writing?
At least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 for Task 2. Writing a little more is fine; writing far more leaves less time to check.
Should I do Task 2 first?
Many candidates do, because Task 2 is worth more. Whatever order you choose, keep to about 20 and 40 minutes.
Can I use memorised introductions?
It's better not to. Memorised sentences don't show your real level and examiners recognise them. Learn flexible phrases and use them with your own ideas.
Do I need an overview in Task 1?
Yes. A clear overview of the main trends is one of the key requirements for a good Task Achievement score.