The two tasks
You have 60 minutes for both tasks, and you decide how to split the time.
- Task 1 needs at least 150 words. On the Academic test you describe a graph, table, chart, process or map. On General Training you write a letter, which may be formal, semi-formal or informal.
- Task 2 needs at least 250 words: an essay responding to an opinion, a problem, a discussion of two views, or a direct question.
Task 2 counts for more than Task 1, so a common split is about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2.
The four criteria examiners use
Each task is marked on four equally weighted criteria:
- Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2): did you answer the actual question fully?
- Coherence and Cohesion: is the writing logically organised, with clear paragraphs and natural linking?
- Lexical Resource: range and accuracy of vocabulary, including collocation and spelling.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of sentence structures, used with control.
Knowing which criterion is holding you back changes how you practise. Learning new words does nothing if your real problem is paragraphing.
Common mistakes, and what to do instead
These come up again and again in scripts from Indian students, including many in Nagpur. They are habits, not a lack of ability.
Memorised phrases
Openings such as "In this modern era of globalisation" or "Every coin has two sides" are recognised immediately. They add words without adding meaning, and examiners may discount memorised language. Paraphrase the question in your own words instead.
Over-long introductions
Some students spend a quarter of their essay on an introduction. Two or three sentences are enough: paraphrase the topic and state your position clearly. Spend the words on developed body paragraphs.
Indian-English usage
Phrases that are normal in Indian offices and classrooms are marked as errors in IELTS:
- "revert back" (just "reply" or "revert" in its proper sense);
- "discuss about" (simply "discuss");
- "do the needful", "prepone", "out of station";
- "each and every", "the same" used as a pronoun at the end of a sentence.
Missing overview in Academic Task 1
Without a clear overview of the main trends, Task Achievement is usually limited, however accurate your numbers are. Write it as the second paragraph.
Lists instead of arguments
Task 2 body paragraphs need one main idea, explained and supported with an example. Five undeveloped points in a row rarely score well.
Practising Writing from Nagpur
Writing needs a full, quiet hour more than any other module. For engineering students that is often a Sunday morning; for doctors and nurses it is a day off rather than a post-duty evening. During the hot months, an early start makes a real difference to how clearly you think.
Type your practice if you plan to take the computer-delivered test, and write by hand if you will sit the paper test. Your speed and word count will be very different.
Topics in Task 2 are global, but your examples can come from what you know. An essay on public transport can draw on how the Nagpur Metro changed short trips across the city; one on rural development can mention farming in Vidarbha. Real, specific examples are more convincing than invented statistics, and they are far easier to develop under time pressure.
How AI feedback and teachers help
IELTS Learning has 104 prompts covering Academic charts, tables, processes and maps, General Training letters and every Task 2 essay type. After you submit, you get:
- an AI-estimated band for each of the four criteria;
- written feedback pointing to specific sentences and patterns;
- a clear sense of which criterion to work on next.
AI feedback is fast and lets you write far more often than any human could mark. For a second opinion, Book a Teacher offers 1-to-1 online sessions of about 20 minutes from ₹299. Students often bring one essay the AI scored low on Coherence and Cohesion and ask the teacher to restructure it with them.
The Study Notes include a Writing chapter with essay structures and Task 1 overview examples, and English Improvement lessons target grammar areas such as articles and tense consistency.
Your next step
Write one Task 2 essay this week under a 40-minute timer and submit it for feedback. Full Access is ₹999 for 2 months and unlocks every prompt. You can also browse free Writing tips on our blog, or register free and try the sample mock, which includes both Writing tasks.