PW English.

com
online English with Paul Winterbottom (MA Oxford University)

IELTS
Writing
Course
Week 1 Course Material
Use this material together with the webpage for the week.

© 2009 pwenglish.com
 IELTS Writing Course

A: Question and Dictation

Audio 1: look at the question below and then do the dictation from the webpage.
Check your answer very carefully!

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 IELTS Writing Course

Model answer
Check your answer carefully. If you have made mistakes – do it again -until you can do it
with no mistakes. This is important. You will NOTICE all the skills required to write well.

The top bar chart shows the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between 1985 and
1995, and the bottom line graph shows the percentage of these tourists who visited Australia
during the period from 1985 to 1994.

Overall, the key points to note are that during this period the number of Japanese tourists
travelling abroad increased by more than 200% from just under 5 million to over 15 million, and
the percentage of these who visited Australia rose from 2% to 6%. This means that the number
of Japanese tourists visiting Australia increased dramatically, by more than 600%, between
1985 and 1995.

Looking at the charts in more detail we can see that the number of tourists travelling abroad
rose steadily during this period, and only fell slightly once, between 1990 and 1991.

Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market also rose steadily, but fell on two occasions, between
1988 and 1989, when it fell sharply from approximately 4.8% to 4.2%, and between 1993 and
1994, when it declined by a small amount, from approximately 6.2% to 6%. It is noteworthy
that these declines did not coincide with the decline in the overall number of tourists, so they
do not appear to be related.

(203 words)

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 IELTS Writing Course

B: Organising and planning a question 1 answer

1 Organisation of the answer:

Audio 2: listen to the audio on the webpage and look at the summary below:

IELTS question 1 answer will have 4 or sometimes 5 paragraphs.

A total of more than 150 words.

Organisation of IELTS Question 1 answer by paragraph:

Paragraph 1 Introduction: what do the charts etc show?

Paragraph 2 Overall view / key point (s)

Paragraph 3 Detailed point

Paragraph 4 Detailed point

Paragraph 5 (not always) Summary / conclusion

Quick check 1: organisation of answer

Listen to audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps or stop audio and write answer.

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 IELTS Writing Course

C: Finding the main points

Audio 3: listen to the audio on the webpage and look at the charts below:

Look for OVERALL patterns – these are the main points (red lines on the charts).

Details may be EXCEPTIONS or CONTRASTS to the MAIN POINTS, or ADDING MORE DETAIL to the
overall point. If possible you should LINK or RELATE the two charts.

Here the main points are

(1) The number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad has grown

(2) The percentage going to Australia has grown.

The details I have chosen are EXCEPTIONS – the years in which the figures did not grow.
As these years are not the same in the two charts I believe that the figures are NOT RELATED.
Note: we will practise choosing the information to write about in week 3.

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 IELTS Writing Course

D: Analysis (1): introducing your ideas

Audio 4: listen and look at the phrases in yellow below.

(1) The top bar chart shows the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between 1985
and 1995, and the bottom line graph shows the percentage of these tourists who visited
Australia during the period from 1985 to 1994.

(2) Overall, the key points to note are that during this period the number of Japanese tourists
travelling abroad increased by more than 200% from just under 5 million to over 15 million,
and the percentage of these who visited Australia rose from 2% to 6%. This means that the
number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia increased dramatically, by more than 600%,
between 1985 and 1995.

(3) Looking at the charts in more detail we can see that the number of tourists travelling abroad
rose steadily during this period, and only fell slightly once, between 1990 and 1991.

(4) Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market also rose steadily, but fell on two occasions,
between 1988 and 1989, when it fell sharply from approximately 4.8% to 4.2%, and
between 1993 and 1994, when it declined by a small amount, from approximately 6.2% to
6%. It is noteworthy that these declines did not coincide with the decline in the overall
number of tourists, so they do not appear to be related.

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 IELTS Writing Course

Summary of introductory phrases:

Linking phrase: Notes / alternatives:

bar chart / pie chart / line graph /

The top bar chart shows (something)
diagram / map / flow chart

The bottom line graph shows (something)

Overall the key points to note are that ( +clause) point is / the most significant points

This means that ( +clause) USEFUL LOGICAL CONNECTOR

Looking at the charts in more detail we can see that (+

chart / PASSIVE: it can be seen that
clause)

It is noteworthy that (+clause) draw attention to a detail

NB: “clause” means a phrase containing a VERB and its SUBJECT: always check this in your writing.

Quick check 2: linking phrases

Listen to the audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps – or stop the audio and write.

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 IELTS Writing Course

E: Analysis (2): using dates and numbers

Audio 5: listen to the audio on the webpage and look at the phrases in blue and and
green.

(1) The top bar chart shows the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between 1985
and 1995, and the bottom line graph shows the percentage of these tourists who visited
Australia during the period from 1985 to 1994.

(2) Overall, the key points to note are that during this period the number of Japanese tourists
travelling abroad increased by more than 200% from just under 5 million to over 15 million,
and the percentage of these who visited Australia rose from 2% to 6%. This means that the
number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia increased dramatically, by more than 600%,
between 1985 and 1995.

(3) Looking at the charts in more detail we can see that the number of tourists travelling
abroad rose steadily during this period, and only fell slightly once, between 1990 and 1991.

(4) Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market also rose steadily, but fell on two occasions,
between 1988 and 1989, when it fell sharply from approximately 4.8% to 4.2%, and
between 1993 and 1994, when it declined by a small amount, from approximately 6.2% to
6%. It is noteworthy that these declines did not coincide with the decline in the overall
number of tourists, so they do not appear to be related.

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 IELTS Writing Course

Summary of language for dates and numbers:

Dates:

from A to B

between A and B

Numbers:

from A to B (from 6% to 8%)

by 5,000 (by 20%)

approximately

over /more than higher number

lower number
just under / nearly / fewer than (c) / less than (u) “just” emphasises a little bit
less / fewer emphasises SMALL number

Using percentages:

Sales rose by 24%

24% of sales were made to women. Use “of” when the percent is the part of the
Nearly 40% of British people are too fat. subject of the verb.

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 IELTS Writing Course

Quick check 3: dates and times

Listen to the audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps – or stop the audio and write.

F: Language Analysis (3): language of change

Audio 6: listen - look at the words in blue, and the table on the next page.

(1) The top bar chart shows the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between
1985 and 1995, and the bottom line graph shows the percentage of these tourists who
visited Australia during the period from 1985 to 1994.

(2) Overall, the key points to note are that during this period the number of Japanese
tourists travelling abroad increased by more than 200% from just under 5 million to
just over 15 million, and the percentage of these who visited Australia rose from 2% to
6%. This means that the number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia increased
dramatically, by more than 600%, between 1985 and 1995.

(3) Looking at the charts in more detail we can see that the number of tourists travelling
abroad rose steadily during this period, and only fell slightly once, between 1990 and
1991.

(4) Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market also rose steadily, but fell on two occasions,
between 1988 and 1989, when it fell sharply from approximately 4.8% to 4.2%, and
between 1993 and 1994, when it declined by a small amount, from approximately 6.2%
to 6%. It is noteworthy that these declines did not coincide with the decline in the
overall number of tourists, so they do not appear to be related

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 IELTS Writing Course

Summary of key language for change

Verb
to increase (rise)
to decline (decrease / fall)
increased by 20% dramatically / sharply
increased from 15% to 18% slightly
declined by 10,000 dramatically / sharply
declined from 11m to 7m slightly

Noun
an increase (a rise)
a decline (a decrease / a fall)
an increase of 6% dramatic / sharp
an increase in the number of slight
tourists of 5 million
a decline of £20m dramatic / sharp
a decline from 11m to 7m slight
a decline in the number of
visitors of 2 million.

Verb pattern:
The number of visitors declined from 11 million to 7 million.

Noun pattern:
There was a decline in the number of visitors from 11 million to 7 million.

Quick check 4: vocabulary for changes

Listen to the audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps – or stop the audio and write.

Quick check 5: verb to noun sentences for changes

Listen to the audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps – or stop the audio and write.

Quick check 6: noun to verb sentences for changes

Listen to the audio on the webpage – answer in the gaps – or stop the audio and write.

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 IELTS Writing Course

G: Text completion

Write one or more words in the gap. The number of lines shows the number of words. Check your
answer carefully with the text on page 1.

The top ________ chart shows the number of Japanese tourists ________ ________ between 1985
and 1995, and the bottom ________ graph shows the percentage of these tourists who visited
Australia during the ________ from 1985 to 1994.

________, the key ________ ________ ________ are that during this period the number of
Japanese tourists travelling abroad ________ ________ more than 200% from ________ under 5
million to ________ 15 million, and the percentage of these who visited Australia rose ________ 2%
________ 6%. This means that the number of Japanese tourists visiting Australia increased
________, by ________ than 600%, ________ 1985 and 1995.

________ at the charts in more ________ we can see that the number of tourists travelling abroad
________ steadily during this period, and only ________ slightly once, between 1990 and 1991.

Australia’s share of Japan’s tourist market also rose steadily, but fell on two ________, between
1988 and 1989, when it fell s________ from __________ 4.8% to 4.2%, and ________ 1993 and
1994, when it ________ by a small amount, from approximately 6.2% to 6%. ________ ________
noteworthy that these declines did not coincide ________ the decline ________ the overall number
of tourists, so they do ________ appear ________ ________ related.

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