Sample Candidate Writing Responses and Examiner Comments
Both the Academic and General Training logical sequencing, while cohesion refers to the
Writing Modules consist of two tasks, Task 1 varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices
and Task 2. Each task is assessed (e.g. logical connectors, conjunctions and
independently. The assessment of Task 2 pronouns) to assist in making clear the
carries more weight in marking than Task 1. relationships between and within sentences.
Detailed performance descriptors have been Lexical Resource
developed which describe written
performance at the 9 IELTS bands. These This criterion refers to the range of
descriptors apply to both the Academic and vocabulary the candidate has used and the
General Training Modules. accuracy and appropriacy of that use in
terms of the specific task.
Task 1 responses are assessed on the Grammatical Range and Accuracy
following criteria: This criterion refers to the range and
• Task Achievement accurate use of the candidate’s
grammatical resource within the
• Coherence and Cohesion candidate’s writing at sentence level.
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy Task 2
Task Response
Task 2 responses are assessed on the Both the Academic and General Training
following criteria: Writing Task 2 require the candidates to
• Task Response formulate and develop a position in relation
to a given prompt in the form of a question
• Coherence and Cohesion or statement, using a minimum of 250
• Lexical Resource words. Ideas should be supported by
evidence, and examples may be drawn
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy from a candidates’ own experience.
Candidates should note that responses will be The other criteria for Task 2 are the same as
penalised if they are a) partly or wholly for Task 1 (Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical
plagiarised, b) not written as full, connected Resource, Grammatical Range and
text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the Accuracy).
response, or note form, is not appropriate).
Task 1 Writing responses are marked by trained and
Task Achievement certificated IELTS examiners.
This criterion assesses how fully, Scores may be reported as whole bands or half
appropriately, accurately and relevantly the bands.
response fulfils the requirements set out in Below you will find candidates’ responses to
the task, using the minimum of 150 words. the two tasks in the sample Academic Writing
Task 1 Academic is a writing task which has a test. There are two responses for each task.
defined input and a largely predictable output. Each response has been awarded a band
It is basically an information-transfer task score and is accompanied by an examiner
which relates narrowly to the factual content comment on the candidate’s performance for
of a diagram, graph, table, chart, map or that task.
other visual input, not to speculative The examiners’ guidelines for marking the
explanations that lie outside the given data. Writing scripts are very detailed. There
Coherence and Cohesion are many different ways a candidate may
achieve a particular band score. The
This criterion is concerned with the overall candidates’ answers that follow should
organisation and logical development of the not be regarded as definitive examples of
message: how the response organises and any particular band score.
links information, ideas and language.
Please refer to the publicly available
Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through IELTS Writing Key Criteria on our website.
, Sample Academic Writing Part 1
Candidate Response 1
The chart gives you information on how children travelled to and from school in the years
1990 and 2010. The modes of transport were by car, walking, cycling, walking and by bus
and by bus only.
A striking feature in this chart is that the number of children who travelled by car has
increased from 1990 to 2010. In 1990 the most number of trips per year by children were by
walking. However in 2010 it reduced to up to 6 million trips per year. The total number of
trips to school by cycling and walking and bus were approximately 6 million in 1990.
However the number of trips to school by cycling reduced to 2 million and the number of trips
to school by walking and bus reduced to about 3 million in 2010. There isn’t a significant
change to the number of trips to school by bus. In 1990 it was about 7 million and in 2010 it
came down to approximately 5 million.
In 1990 the amount of children who travelled to and from school by car was significantly
lower than the children who travelled by walking. In contrast in 2010 the number of children
who travelled to school by car increased and the number of children walking to school has
decreased. In 2010 children travelled to school by bus more than they cycled to school.
Examiner comment
Band 6
The key features which are selected are covered and clearly highlighted, but reporting is somewhat
mechanical and data is provided to support only some of the descriptions. There is a relevant
overview in the final paragraph, with a summary of the main changes. Information and ideas are
generally arranged coherently, though there is some repetition [number of trips]. Cohesive devices are
used effectively and there is a clear progression overall.
The range of vocabulary is sufficient to allow some flexibility, with some less common items. For a
higher band, a wider range of vocabulary could be used, within the scope of the task. There is a mix of
simple and complex sentence structures, used fairly accurately, but again, there is not a wide enough
variety of structures to achieve a higher band.
Both the Academic and General Training logical sequencing, while cohesion refers to the
Writing Modules consist of two tasks, Task 1 varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices
and Task 2. Each task is assessed (e.g. logical connectors, conjunctions and
independently. The assessment of Task 2 pronouns) to assist in making clear the
carries more weight in marking than Task 1. relationships between and within sentences.
Detailed performance descriptors have been Lexical Resource
developed which describe written
performance at the 9 IELTS bands. These This criterion refers to the range of
descriptors apply to both the Academic and vocabulary the candidate has used and the
General Training Modules. accuracy and appropriacy of that use in
terms of the specific task.
Task 1 responses are assessed on the Grammatical Range and Accuracy
following criteria: This criterion refers to the range and
• Task Achievement accurate use of the candidate’s
grammatical resource within the
• Coherence and Cohesion candidate’s writing at sentence level.
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy Task 2
Task Response
Task 2 responses are assessed on the Both the Academic and General Training
following criteria: Writing Task 2 require the candidates to
• Task Response formulate and develop a position in relation
to a given prompt in the form of a question
• Coherence and Cohesion or statement, using a minimum of 250
• Lexical Resource words. Ideas should be supported by
evidence, and examples may be drawn
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy from a candidates’ own experience.
Candidates should note that responses will be The other criteria for Task 2 are the same as
penalised if they are a) partly or wholly for Task 1 (Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical
plagiarised, b) not written as full, connected Resource, Grammatical Range and
text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the Accuracy).
response, or note form, is not appropriate).
Task 1 Writing responses are marked by trained and
Task Achievement certificated IELTS examiners.
This criterion assesses how fully, Scores may be reported as whole bands or half
appropriately, accurately and relevantly the bands.
response fulfils the requirements set out in Below you will find candidates’ responses to
the task, using the minimum of 150 words. the two tasks in the sample Academic Writing
Task 1 Academic is a writing task which has a test. There are two responses for each task.
defined input and a largely predictable output. Each response has been awarded a band
It is basically an information-transfer task score and is accompanied by an examiner
which relates narrowly to the factual content comment on the candidate’s performance for
of a diagram, graph, table, chart, map or that task.
other visual input, not to speculative The examiners’ guidelines for marking the
explanations that lie outside the given data. Writing scripts are very detailed. There
Coherence and Cohesion are many different ways a candidate may
achieve a particular band score. The
This criterion is concerned with the overall candidates’ answers that follow should
organisation and logical development of the not be regarded as definitive examples of
message: how the response organises and any particular band score.
links information, ideas and language.
Please refer to the publicly available
Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through IELTS Writing Key Criteria on our website.
, Sample Academic Writing Part 1
Candidate Response 1
The chart gives you information on how children travelled to and from school in the years
1990 and 2010. The modes of transport were by car, walking, cycling, walking and by bus
and by bus only.
A striking feature in this chart is that the number of children who travelled by car has
increased from 1990 to 2010. In 1990 the most number of trips per year by children were by
walking. However in 2010 it reduced to up to 6 million trips per year. The total number of
trips to school by cycling and walking and bus were approximately 6 million in 1990.
However the number of trips to school by cycling reduced to 2 million and the number of trips
to school by walking and bus reduced to about 3 million in 2010. There isn’t a significant
change to the number of trips to school by bus. In 1990 it was about 7 million and in 2010 it
came down to approximately 5 million.
In 1990 the amount of children who travelled to and from school by car was significantly
lower than the children who travelled by walking. In contrast in 2010 the number of children
who travelled to school by car increased and the number of children walking to school has
decreased. In 2010 children travelled to school by bus more than they cycled to school.
Examiner comment
Band 6
The key features which are selected are covered and clearly highlighted, but reporting is somewhat
mechanical and data is provided to support only some of the descriptions. There is a relevant
overview in the final paragraph, with a summary of the main changes. Information and ideas are
generally arranged coherently, though there is some repetition [number of trips]. Cohesive devices are
used effectively and there is a clear progression overall.
The range of vocabulary is sufficient to allow some flexibility, with some less common items. For a
higher band, a wider range of vocabulary could be used, within the scope of the task. There is a mix of
simple and complex sentence structures, used fairly accurately, but again, there is not a wide enough
variety of structures to achieve a higher band.
