IELTS General Training Writing Exam
The IELTS General Training Writing exam evaluates test takers’ ability to respond to specific situations and to express their opinion regarding an argument, a point of view or a problem.
Task 1
Task 1 requires test takers to come up with a formal or an informal letter with at least 150 words, describing a certain situation, expressing complaints and opinions, giving recommendations and requesting or providing information. It aims to assess test takers’ ability to follow letter-writing conventions. The writing style varies depending on the reader or audience the letter is addressed. For example, if the letter is for someone in authority like a manager or an executive, the style should be formal; whereas if the letter is for a friend or relative, the style may be informal. Moreover, examinees are given 20 minutes to finish the exam.
Sample Question:
You recently met a manager of a new company in your city. After the meeting, the manager wrote you a letter offering a job in the new company. Write him back and say:
• How you feel about the job.
• Why you can't accept it
• Provide a reference to your friend who might be interested
Sample Answer:
Dear Operations Manager:
Thank you very much for considering me as a customer service representative. I am at a loss for words that the company has deemed me qualified for this position.
After careful consideration, I decided to pursue another role that will allow me to pursue my interests in teaching English as a second language. I have always wanted to become a teacher, and I feel that I could not let this opportunity pass.
In line with this, I would like to recommend my former colleague, Marie Marcos. She earned her bachelor’s degree from a prestigious university and has been working as a customer service representative for more than five years now, and she is knowledgeable of various web applications that the role would require. Should you wish to contact her for interview, you may reach her at +63(2) 3767068 or at mariemarcos@yourweb.com.
Best wishes for your continued success.
Sincerely,
Angel Santibanez
TIPS:
• Carefully examine the given situation. What does the situation want you to do, request or provide information? Analyze the situation and comply with what it asks you to do. Remember that you can be penalized for providing an irrelevant response.
• Determine the audience or reader of your letter. To whom are you writing? Identifying your audience can help determine the writing style that you should use in this task. If you must write a formal letter to a high-ranking officer or a person in authority, then it should be concise and explicit in approach in presenting your purpose. Avoid using contractions and slangs. Meanwhile, you are most likely to write an informal letter to a friend or a relative. You may use slangs or colloquial terms for a more conversational and spontaneous tone. Then again, though you may write in an informal style, you must still observe writing in complete sentences instead of using fragments or phrases.
• Be conscious of the structure. The basic parts of a letter include the date, address, salutation, body of the letter, complimentary close and signature line.
o Date – This refers to the date of writing.
o Address – This indicates the address of the recipient.
o Salutation – This varies depending on the recipient’s designation (e.g., “Dear Madame,” “Dear Mr. Nivera,” “Dear Associate Vice President,” etc.). In case you do not know the complete name of the recipient, you may indicate “To Whom It May Concern.” Moreover, use a colon after the salutation instead of a comma.
o Body of the Letter – This is usually composed of the introduction, body and conclusion. First, state the purpose of your letter in the introduction: to request, to complain, to propose or suggest, etc. Second, provide necessary details in the body. Third, summarize your points and reinstate your purpose. Offer solutions or recommendations.
o Complimentary Close – Use “Respectfully Yours,” “Sincerely,” “With sincere appreciation,” among others, for formal letters; “Best Regards,” “Cordially,” “With love,” among others, for informal letters.
Task 2
Task 2 requires test takers to write an essay with at least 250 words to discuss, develop and support ideas based on general topics of interest. It aims to assess their ability to follow English writing conventions and to discuss and develop ideas logically and cohesively, including language precision. Moreover, test takers are given 40 minutes to finish this task. (Note: This task weighs twice as much as Task 1.)
Sample Topic:
Some people trust their first impressions about a person’s character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person’s character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree with?
Sample Answer:
People can control how they would like others to perceive them during their first encounter. It can be observed as to how they carry themselves and interact in an intimate and public setting. For instance, consider a fresh graduate applying for a job. This person has the upper hand to set the interviewer’s expectations. He comes 10 minutes earlier than expected, wears formal business attire and is confident in answering questions. Did he get the job? Sure, he did. From this scenario, we can infer that the applicant was hired generally because the interviewer is impressed.
A thin line distinguishes impression from stereotyping. Stereotyping is when people make judgments about someone they do not know or have not met, whereas impression is when someone does or say something that influences another person (“leaving an impression”).
What if the applicant were not able to deliver what is required of him? It takes time for the applicant, now employee, to prove that he is capable to deliver and excel. In his first few months, he is still trying to win favors. Wait until he is settled or granted regularization. By this time, he is not trying hard to impress, unlike when he was a newbie. Consider asking these questions: How is he as an employee? How about as a colleague?
I agree that we should not easily jump into conclusions based on first encounters. As cliché as it may sound, people change. It is human nature to change to be able to adapt and survive. What holds true of a person today may not be so tomorrow.
TIPS:
• Carefully examine the question or statement. What does it want you to do? See to it that you fully understand the question before constructing the essay. Keep in mind that you may be penalized for providing an irrelevant response.
• Use an organizational pattern to develop your ideas. To ensure that ideas are logically arranged, develop them based on a specific organizational pattern (e.g., cause-effect, problem-solution, advantages-disadvantages, comparison-contrast, etc.).
• Ensure coherence and cohesion of ideas. You might be confused of the difference between these two. Coherence refers to the relationship and/or unity of ideas based on a work’s entirety, while cohesion refers to the unity among ideas in sentences. To ensure coherence and cohesion in your essay, you may create an outline to ensure relevance of each point that you want to include in your essay. Also, use transitional devices or logical connectors.
• Elaborate and support your argument. Provide sufficient information for each point. Support it with factual information, evidence or examples.
In comparison, the IELTS Academic Writing test is more difficult than the IELTS General Training Writing test as exam takers who go through this test seek to study in an undergraduate or a postgraduate level or for professional registration.
To sum up, though one type is more challenging than the other or one task weighs twice as much than another, it is still recommended that you prepare before taking the IELTS exam. There are review centers that offer coaching services or IELTS online training. They assess test takers’ English language proficiency, provide materials for practice tests and conduct actual exercises to help improve their language skills.
No comments:
Post a Comment