Paragraphs and structure in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

In this blog, we’ll be looking at three very important questions about Academic Writing Task 1.

Q1          Do I have to write in paragraphs?

Q2          How many paragraphs do I need to write?

Q3          Do I have to write a conclusion?

So, here are my answers.

Q1 Do I have to write in paragraphs?

I’m sure you already know that this task requires you to write a minimum of 150 words in 20 minutes describing data or a diagram. So, how to structure those precious words?! Let’s start with looking at what the examiner wants. If you look at the Band Score Descriptors for Coherence & Cohesion, you will notice that ‘paragraphing’ isn’t mentioned until Band 8.

So, the answer to this question is that you MUST write in paragraphs if you are aiming for a Band Score of 8 and higher. You do NOT have to write in paragraphs to get a lower Band Score.

However, I would strongly advise you to write in paragraphs as this helps you to organise your work logically and coherently which you need to get a Band Score of 7 or 6 for Coherence & Cohesion. And it is good academic writing style!

Q2 How many paragraphs do I need to write?

Generally speaking, write 2 or 3 paragraphs for Academic Writing Task 1.

Paragraph 1 is the introduction

The introduction has two parts: the rephrasing of the question itself and the overview.

Paragraph 2 is the body paragraph

In this paragraph you will describe the data that supports your overview in detail, i.e. dates, prices, percentages etc. For more information on this go to our blog Numbers & Symbols in Academic Writing Task 1.

 Paragraph 3 is an optional second body paragraph.

You do NOT have to separate the body of your report into 2 paragraphs but you may decide to do this if there is data you want to describe that is very different from the data you described in your first body paragraph. Also, you may need a second body paragraph if you are describing a task that has two diagrams.

Q3 Do I have to write a conclusion?

Simple answer is NO! Please, please, please remember a conclusion is NOT necessary in Academic Writing Task 1. You only have 20 minutes, so use that time to write a clear introduction and a well-structured supporting body paragraph.

To summarise:

Q1 Do I have to write in paragraphs?                      

A It’s a really good idea to write in paragraphs!

Q2 How many paragraphs do I need to write?    

A Minimum two – Introduction + body paragraph

Q3 Do I have to write a conclusion?                           

A No!

Hope this helps! Good luck with your IELTS preparation!

Why not check out our Academic Writing Task 1 Pack and get access to our lessons on Line Graphs, Pie Charts and Process Diagrams to learn more about Task 1 paragraphing?