Level: Upper-intermediate Exam preparation
IELTS Writing in 15 Days
Academic and General Training · Task 1 and Task 2 · one lesson a day
A free 15-day course for IELTS Writing, Academic and General Training. One lesson a day takes you from how the test is marked to confident Task 1 reports and letters and well-organised Task 2 essays: planning, paraphrasing, overviews, the language of trends and comparisons, processes and maps, letters in the right tone, every Task 2 essay type, linking, vocabulary and grammar for a higher band, and a timed practice day – with model answers, interactive exercises, a writing task and checklist every day, unit reviews and a final test.
- Units
- 6
- Lessons
- 21
- Effort
- 25 hours
- Learning
- Self-paced
What you will learn
- I understand how IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are marked and what a strong answer needs.
- I can plan quickly, paraphrase the question and organise my ideas in clear paragraphs.
- I can write an introduction and a clear overview for an Academic Task 1 report.
- I can describe trends, compare data and describe processes and maps accurately.
- I can write formal, semi-formal and informal letters for General Training Task 1.
- I can plan and write opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem–solution and two-part essays.
- I can link ideas clearly, use a wider range of vocabulary and grammar, and check my work in the time allowed.
About this course
About this course
IELTS Writing has two tasks in 60 minutes, and many candidates find it the hardest part of the test. This course teaches both tasks step by step in 15 daily lessons. Each day explains one skill in plain English, shows it in a model answer, lets you practise it in short interactive exercises and ends with a writing task, a checklist and a model answer to compare with your own.
- Days 1–2: how the test works and is marked; planning, paraphrasing and paragraphs.
- Days 3–7: Academic Task 1 – introductions and overviews, trends, comparisons, processes and maps.
- Day 8: General Training Task 1 – formal, semi-formal and informal letters.
- Days 9–13: Task 2 – understanding the question and writing every type of essay, with clear linking.
- Days 14–15: vocabulary and grammar for a higher band, and a timed practice day.
If you are taking IELTS Academic, do Day 8 for extra practice or skip it. If you are taking General Training, Days 3–7 still help you describe and compare, but spend most of your time on Days 8–15.
How to use it
Plan about 90 minutes a day: 30 minutes for the lesson and the exercises, 40–60 minutes for the writing task, and a few minutes to check your answer against the checklist and the model answer. Write by hand if you will take the paper-based test, and type if you will take it on computer. Keep your answers: on Day 15 you will look back at them and see how far you have come.
About the test
- Time: 60 minutes for both tasks.
- Task 1: at least 150 words in about 20 minutes. Academic: describe a graph, table, chart, diagram or map. General Training: write a letter.
- Task 2: at least 250 words in about 40 minutes – an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1.
- Marking: four equally weighted criteria – task achievement (Task 1) or task response (Task 2), coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy.
Formats change: always check the official IELTS website before you book.
Important
myedu.lk is not affiliated with IELTS (British Council, IDP, Cambridge University Press & Assessment). The lessons, tasks and model answers were written for myedu.lk. Practice feedback and model answers show one good way to answer; they are not official scores or official model answers.
Who this course is for
Learners in Sri Lanka preparing for IELTS Academic or General Training who want a clear, step-by-step way to improve their writing score – for study, work or migration.
Before you start
Upper-intermediate (B1–B2) English: you can write connected paragraphs on familiar topics. If the lessons feel hard, study B1 Intermediate English or B2 Upper-intermediate English first, or alongside this course.
Course structure
6 units · 21 lessons · about 13 hours of lessons
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Unit 1: Know the test
How IELTS Writing works and is marked; planning, paraphrasing and paragraphs.
ShowHide 3 lessons of Unit 1: Know the test · about 2 hours
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Day 1: How IELTS Writing works
Describe how the two IELTS Writing tasks work, how to use your 60 minutes and what the examiner rewards.
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Day 2: Planning, paraphrasing and paragraphs
Write a quick plan, a paraphrased first sentence and clear paragraphs built on topic sentences.
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Unit 1 review
Show that you know how IELTS Writing works and can paraphrase, plan and build paragraphs, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 15 min
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Unit 2: Academic Task 1
Reports on graphs, charts, tables, processes and maps.
ShowHide 6 lessons of Unit 2: Academic Task 1 · about 4 hours
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Day 3: The introduction and the overview
Write a one-sentence introduction and a clear overview, without figures, for any Academic Task 1 report.
45 min -
Day 4: Describing change over time
Describe trends in line graphs and tables accurately, with the right verbs, nouns, prepositions and tenses.
45 min -
Day 5: Comparing data
Describe and compare figures in bar charts, tables and pie charts, using comparatives, proportions and linking words.
45 min -
Day 6: Describing a process
Describe a manufactured or natural process in clear stages, using the passive voice and sequencing words.
45 min -
Day 7: Maps and a complete report
Describe the changes shown on maps and write a complete Academic Task 1 report, checked with a final checklist.
45 min -
Unit 2 review
Show that you can write overviews and describe trends, comparisons, processes and maps accurately, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 15 min
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Unit 3: General Training Task 1
Letters for every situation.
ShowHide 2 lessons of Unit 3: General Training Task 1 · about 1 hour
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Day 8: Letters for every situation
Write formal, semi-formal and informal letters that cover all three bullet points in the right tone.
45 min -
Unit 3 review
Show that you can choose the right type of letter, tone, opening and closing, and cover every bullet point, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 15 min
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Unit 4: Task 2 essays
Days 9–13: understand exactly what a Task 2 question asks, then plan and write every type of essay – opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem–solution and two-part – with clear paragraphs and accurate linking. The unit ends with a review.
ShowHide 6 lessons of Unit 4: Task 2 essays · about 4 hours
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Day 9: Understanding the question
Recognise the five common types of Task 2 question and find the topic, the exact question and the scope before you plan.
45 min -
Day 10: Opinion essays
Write an opinion essay with a clear thesis, developed body paragraphs, a concession and a conclusion that repeats your position.
45 min -
Day 11: Discussion and advantages–disadvantages essays
Present two views or two sides fairly, put your opinion in the right places and give a clear judgement when a question asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
45 min -
Day 12: Problem–solution and two-part essays
Write problem–solution essays in which every solution matches a cause, and two-part essays that answer both questions equally.
45 min -
Day 13: Coherence and cohesion
Organise an essay in clear paragraphs with topic sentences, and connect ideas with accurate linking words, reference words and synonyms.
45 min -
Unit 4 review
Show that you can recognise Task 2 question types, plan every type of essay and link ideas accurately, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 15 min
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Unit 5: Aim higher
Days 14–15: vocabulary and grammar for a higher band – topic collocations, precise and formal words, complex sentences and accuracy – then a timed practice day with a full practice test and a checking routine. The unit ends with a review.
ShowHide 3 lessons of Unit 5: Aim higher · about 2 hours
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Day 14: Vocabulary and grammar for a higher band
Use topic collocations, precise and formal words and a range of complex sentences accurately, and avoid the most common grammar traps.
45 min -
Day 15: Timed practice and checking your work
Plan your 60 minutes, keep to time, check your answers with a five-point routine and complete a full timed practice test.
45 min -
Unit 5 review
Show that you can choose precise, formal vocabulary, write accurate complex sentences and plan and check your time in the test, with a score of 70% or more.
Test 15 min
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Final test
One test on the whole course: 20 questions on the test and how it is marked, Task 1 reports and letters, Task 2 essays, linking, vocabulary and grammar. Pass it with 70% or more to complete the course and receive your certificate of completion.
ShowHide 1 lesson of Final test · about 30 minutes
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IELTS Writing final test
Pass the final test – 20 questions on the whole course – with 70% or more.
Test 30 min
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Estimated effort
Plan for 25 hours in total, including practice and reviews. At about an hour a day, six days a week, that is about 5 weeks.
How you will learn
- Step-by-step explanations
- Model answers
- Interactive exercises
- A writing task and checklist every day
- Unit reviews and a final test
Try it free
2 lessons of this course are free to try, without an account. Your progress is saved once you enrol.
Completion and certificate
You complete the course when you have:
- finished every required lesson (21 lessons), and
- passed the required course test.
When you complete the course, you receive a myedu.lk certificate of completion with a code that anyone can check online.
A certificate of completion shows that you finished this course on myedu.lk. It is not an independent certification of your English proficiency.
Ready to start IELTS Writing in 15 Days?
This course is free. Enrol and start your first lesson today.