Understanding Task Completion Criteria in IELTS Writing
Zilpah D'Souza Published: December 14, 2024
In the IELTS general writing test, the task completion criteria are crucial to your overall score. Task completion refers to how well you meet the requirements of the question prompt. The task completion criteria assess whether you have fully addressed all parts of the task and whether your response is relevant and complete. There are specific task completion criteria for writing task 1 and task 2 (General Training), and these can affect your task achievement score.
Understanding task completion in Task 1 (letter writing)
In task 1, you are required to write a letter responding to a specific situation. To complete this task successfully and completely, focus on the following key criteria:
- Address all parts of the prompt: respond to all three bullet points provided in the task. Missing any part will impact your score.
- Provide relevant details: include specific information that directly answers the questions. Unclear responses will lower your score.
- Maintain a clear purpose: ensure that your letter has a distinct purpose – be it a request, apology, complaint, or invitation – and make this easily identifiable.
- Tone and register: use appropriate tone based on your relationship with the recipient. Formal letters require a respectful tone, while informal letters can be more casual.
- Clarity and directness: structure your letter with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion for easy understanding.
Understanding task completion in Task 2 (essay writing)
In task 2, you are required to write an essay responding to a specific question or topic, which may involve presenting an argument, discussing an issue, or expressing an opinion. This task carries more weight in scoring compared to task 1. Therefore, focus on the following key criteria:
- Fully address the question: make sure to respond to all parts of the prompt, as incomplete answers can lead to lost marks for task achievement.
- Develop your ideas: support your arguments with clear explanations and relevant examples. Simply stating your opinion without justification will weaken your response.
- Stay on topic: focus on the specific question asked. Avoid irrelevant anecdotes or general statements that do not address the core issue.
- Clear positioning and conclusion: state your position clearly in the introduction and reinforce it in the conclusion. Consistency throughout the essay is key.
- Logical structure: Organize your essay into clear paragraphs, each focusing on a specific idea. A typical structure includes:
- Introduction (restating the question and your position)
- Body paragraphs (supporting ideas and examples)
- Conclusion (summarizing your argument)
- Balance of content: if discussing both sides of an argument, ensure each side is presented fairly, followed by your opinion or conclusion. Provide a balanced discussion of advantages and disadvantages when applicable.
- Specific examples: use relevant examples to strengthen your argument. These can be drawn from personal experiences, historical events, or general knowledge, as long as they relate directly to the topic.
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