Cambridge IELTS 17 General Writing Practice Test 1

IELTS Cambridge Book 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 1 with Sample Answers and Free PDF Download.

IELTS 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 1, Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your English-speaking friend who lives in your town has asked for your advice about learning a new sport.

Write an email to your friend. In your email:

• Recommend a new sport that would be suitable for your friend to learn.
• Explain how your friend could learn this sport.
• Suggest that you both learn this sport together.

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear [Friend’s Name],

Sample Writing Answer:

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 6.0 score.

Dear Vanessa,

I’m really glad you reached out for advice about learning a new sport. I’d like to suggest basketball, which is very popular in our town. It’s a great sport that not only keeps you fit but also helps you develop teamwork skills.

There’s a fantastic club near my house that offers excellent training sessions. They cover everything from the basic rules and movements to advanced strategies and tricks. You can register anytime and start your sessions right away. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy it, especially since you already have the physical potential to excel in basketball.

Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of basketball, but I’ve never had the chance to learn it properly. If you’re interested, I’d love to join you at the club. It would be a lot of fun to learn and play together!

I hope this suggestion helps, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Take care,
Your friend

Examiner’s Comments:

This response addresses the task effectively and covers all three points. The candidate recommends basketball, explains how the friend could learn it, and suggests learning the sport together. However, the third point could be presented more clearly. The phrase “join you at the club” does not fully convey the idea of learning the sport together.

There is a slight inconsistency in tone at the end, where “satisfy your needs” sounds too formal for a letter to a friend. Ideas are logically organized with some effective use of cohesive devices [I’d like to suggest | which | They cover | I’m confident].

The range of vocabulary is adequate, with some less common expressions [physical potential], but a greater range would be needed to score higher. The response includes sentences with multiple clauses and a range of tenses, though there are a few errors [an advice should be “advice”; satisfy should be “satisfy”] that detract from the overall score.

IELTS 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 1, Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In the future, people may no longer be able to pay for things in shops using cash. All payments may have to be made by card or using phones.

Do you think this will happen one day?
Why do you think some people might not be happy to give up using cash?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Writing Answer:

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 7.0 score.

Technology has found its way into every aspect of our lives, including how we pay for things in shops. Following this trend, I believe we will eventually stop using cash altogether.

First of all, generations that have grown up with technology have become dependent on multiple devices to perform even the simplest tasks. Millennials and people from their generation can often be seen holding their phones at all times, which makes it easier for them to process payments with something they already have in their hands.

Moreover, as fashion plays an important role in our society, being able to process payments with an electronic device like a card not only saves time but also reduces the need to carry cash. Additionally, it eliminates the jingling sound of coins in our bags. This is evident in our daily routines when both men and women get ready to go out, often carrying only their phone, a few cards, and their keys.

However, for some people, this might not be ideal, as it can bring extra charges when using certain payment methods.

To conclude, while there are both advocates and detractors of giving up cash, I believe that our obsession with technology is a slippery slope that will eventually lead us to abandon cash entirely.

Examiner’s Comments:

This is a strong response overall. The first part of the task is fully addressed, but the second part—reasons why some people might be unhappy—is less well covered. To improve this response, the candidate should provide more than one reason why some people might resist a cashless society.

Ideas are logically arranged, though paragraphing could be improved. The fourth and fifth paragraphs each contain only one sentence, which affects the overall structure. Other aspects of cohesion are good, with linking devices [Moreover | As a plus | However | even though] used effectively, and some effective referencing [our | their | this].

The use of vocabulary is precise [found its way | following this trend | process payments | obsession with technology | slippery slope], with rare errors in spelling [dependant / dependent] and collocation [end on us / end with us]. Sentences are mainly error-free, and there is a good variety of verb structures, including modals, perfect tenses, and future forms.

To improve this response, the second part of the task should be addressed more fully, and paragraphing could be more appropriate. Additionally, the response is slightly shorter than the required 250 words.