Like TOEFL, IELTS is also a test to know your level of English. But unlike TOEFL, there are two types of IELTS exams; General Training an the other is Academic.

IELTS writing

In this section, you must write an essay on a given topic. By knowing how the essay is marked, you can change your strategy to impress the examiner. You must link your ideas before starting your essay. So, the ideas must be coherent. You should use various vocabularies to demonstrate your language-related skills. The examiners expect that you will not only use rich vocabulary in writing but also use various grammatical structures properly.

When practicing IELTS writing, make sure to time your essay and count the number of boxes in the report. As a rule of thumb, you should spend 5 to 10 minutes reading the question and planning the answer. Then make the first draft within the next 20 minutes. Lastly, after you have written the final version of the essay, you must proofread it.

After you have written the outline of the essay, you must expand each idea by using connected words, like, 'therefore' to connect multiple ideas. You can also provide more information by using words like 'also' or 'furthermore'. In this type of writing task, you can compare two ideas as well.

After writing the essay you must edit and proofread it. While writing the essay mark or write areas of improvement. For example, if your sentences are too long then you can shorten them with different use of words or grammatical structure.

Difference between the writing section in the General Testing and Academic sections

In both the General Training and the Academic sections of IELTS, you have to do two tasks.

General Testing Writing Task 1

includes writing a formal, informal, or semi-formal letter.

Academic Writing Task 1

includes preparing a report, table, pie chart, line graph, bar chart, and other forms of graphs.

Tips for writing letter in General Testing Task 1

• An informal letter is for someone you know personally. The content of the letter is not serious. In a semi-formal letter, you write to someone you know personally but about a serious matter such as work. In a formal letter, you address someone you don't know personally about a serious matter. • Letters about applications, resignations, complaints, requests, and arrangements are formal. Letters relating to invitations and explanations are semi-formal. Information, apology, and explanation are usually informal letter topics. • Your letter must cover all the points mentioned in the question. • You must pay attention to the opening and closing lines. You must craft each paragraph carefully as well. • Depending on whether the letter you are writing is formal, informal, or semi-final, you need to change the style and tone of the letter. • It is recommended that you write a minimum of 200 words. • Don't take more than 20 minutes to complete this task as it comprises only 33% of the entire writing test. Spend about 3 to 4 minutes planning the letter and make sure you keep 2 minutes in hand to proofread the letter for spelling and grammatical mistakes. • It is not required to write the address on the letter. You can start with "Dear….".
• You should understand who the recipient of the letter will be so that you can set the tone and style of the letter according to your relationship with that person. For example, if you are writing to your instructor, then the tone of the letter will be a bit formal compared to a letter intended for a friend. • Look closely to the aim and purpose of the letter and plan your letter accordingly. • For each bullet point mentioned in the question, have one paragraph. • Use your imagination to come up with the names you will mention in the letter and the information you will provide. • Always sign off the letter properly.

Academic Task 1 Report

• You are required to analyze a table, graph, chart, diagram, or map. • You should highlight and represent key features. • The number of words in your report should be more than 150. • You should take more than 20 minutes for this task.

IELTS Writing Task 2

There are minor differences between writing task 2 of General Testing and Academic writing. These are mentioned below:
• The essay question of General Testing is easier than Academic. • The essay topics of the General Testing are common like family, society, school, communication, etc. Academic essay writing topics are more serious, like space exploration. • In both the General Testing and Academic writing you get one of the following types of essays:
o Opinion essay
o Solution essay
o Discussion essay
o Advantages/disadvantages of essay
o Direct question essay • You can score bands 2 to 5 in task 2 of both types of IELTS. As the time is limited, it is recommended that you start with Task 2 first as it contains more marks. It also takes longer to finish. You must avoid some informal writing practices like using abbreviations, cliches, slang, redundant words, and first or second person. Try to use different words in your writing, because the examiner would like to know how strong is your vocabulary. Use both simple and complex sentences in your writing tasks.

You must read lots of books and magazines to improve your writing. Practice writing on diverse topics. Do some research on the topic online. This way you will learn new things about a specific topic. Try to learn new words every day to strengthen your vocabulary. For the Task 1 of Academic IELTS, practice the past papers. It will be beneficial for you to study with a partner. That way you can provide feedback to each other and discuss how to improve your writing.

It is not that difficult to score high on the writing section of General Testing and Academic IELTS. Just practice as much as you can before the exam and get a good grasp of it.