In the minds of ESL exam candidates, e ssay writing is one of the most daunting tasks they are required to complete, regardless of the level of the exam, the administering body or the ease with which they themselves use the language. The same applies to students who are asked to write an essay by their teachers at school. In the previous sample essays posted on the blog, the main point I stress is the need to become acquainted with this form of writing (as opposed to writing a letter, review or report, for instance), to get a feel of what authorial voice is and how to organize and progressively express the arguments you wish to make in a coherent manner. Unfortunately, the best way to prepare for exam writing or learn how to write good essays for school is to read as many essays from as many sources as possible, then write as
You can begin by reading my post
especially taking note of point number 3 towards the end.
The graph in this case deals with road and rail passenger use in the UK. It is a longer report than what a candidate would have time to draft (260 words approximately), but the reason for this is to give candidates more words to underline and add to their list of phrases to use in such types of writing tasks.
According to a study carried
out by the Department of Transport, the distance traveled by people in Great
Britain from 1961 to 1989 has greatly changed. Based on the line graph, the
three different categories of means of transport reveal that cars and
motorbikes were used much more over the years in contrast to public means of
transportation.
This latter category displays a similarity in the overall
distance covered by travelers, even though in the early 60s, commuters took
buses and coaches more than they did trains to reach their destination. In
general, approximately 100 billion kilometers were covered by buses and coaches
whereas only about 40 million by trains in 1961. In the ensuing 28 years, a
smaller distance was covered by buses and coaches while railway use increased.
Ultimately in 1989 both categories cover around 50 billion kilometers each.
The trend us entirely different where cars, taxis and
two-wheeled motor vehicles are concerned. In the years studied, the distance
covered by these means is significantly higher than that of buses, coaches and
trains. To be precise, 150 billion kilometers were recorded in 1961, a number
which is admittedly higher that of the other means seen at the lower end of the
graph, yet not considerably so. The striking change becomes evident year after
year with steady rises and slight dips in the figures for this group, to the
point that by 1989 these means are driven three and a half times more than what
they used to be, leaving buses, coaches and trains behind by nearly 500 billion
kilometers.
Find other IELTS Task 1 reports here:
Need help with the IELTS Speaking? Click on the image below.
For IELTS essays (Task 2) click here:
