Cambridge IELTS 17 General Writing Practice Test 2

IELTS Cambridge Book 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 2 with Sample Answers and Free PDF Download.

IELTS 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 2, Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The parents of your Australian friend Chris have invited you to a surprise birthday party for him/her.

Write a letter to Chris’s parents. In your letter:

• Say why you think Chris will enjoy the surprise party.
• Explain why you won’t be able to attend the party.
• Give details of a plan to see Chris at a different time.

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

Sample Writing Answer:

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 5.0 score.

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are both well. I am writing to Chris’s parents because they are celebrating my friend’s surprise birthday party.

Yes, I think Chris will be very happy because he is feeling good. His birthday celebration will be a different type of party because he is coming from India sometimes, so he will enjoy this party.

I am not able to attend the party because my father had a heart attack two days ago. I am going to Delhi because he is not well, and the doctor says my father has to undergo angioplasty. So, I have to stay here for ten days, then I will come home with my father.

Let me know when I can meet Chris after some time, and when my father is well, I will meet you and Chris, and we can go out together. I have many plans, but at this time, I am not able to meet you and Chris.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]

Examiner’s Comments:

This letter addresses each of the bullet points. There is some detail on why the candidate will not be able to attend the party. More information could be given about why Chris will enjoy the party, and the plan to see Chris, as these points are less clear.

Ideas are arranged in the order of the bullet points, so the reader can follow them, but the lack of cohesive devices means progression is not clear.

Vocabulary is minimally adequate. There are some accurate examples (“heart attack,” “angioplasty”) but the range is limited. Errors in word choice (“give party,” “have here in ten days,” “am here for ten days”) cause some difficulty.

Sentence structures are limited, and there are many errors (“types of give party,” “have a done,” “do not able”) that cause difficulty for the reader.

IELTS 17 General Training Writing Practice Test 2, Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In some countries, more and more people are hiring a personal fitness trainer rather than playing sports or doing exercise classes.

• What are the reasons for this?
• Is this a positive or a negative development?

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.

The practice of training physically with personal fitness guides is getting increasingly common in some nations. Therefore, playing sports or taking part in physical exercise courses is less preferred. From my perspective, this is a desirable development as it provides people with a multitude of benefits.

The growing need for personal trainers can be attributed to several reasons. Firstly, due to the fast pace of modern life, people are getting busier with their jobs as well as daily chores such as housework. As a result, taking part in group exercise classes is often impossible for busy people, as they can hardly fit into the schedules of other class members. Hiring a personal trainer seems to be the most appropriate solution, as people will no longer depend on others’ timetables and can exercise with their trainers whenever they have free time. Secondly, joining a group class offers few opportunities to have private conversations with the teachers. The reason is that there are often a large number of learners in a class, and teachers can hardly answer all members’ questions. Conversely, personal trainers are responsible for one student per session, which enables students to have more time to consult their trainers.

The increasing demand for personal trainers has significantly improved modern people’s lives. It is a new and suitable way of managing time efficiently, especially for those who have limited time.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that hiring a personal fitness trainer, which is time-saving and remarkably convenient, has brought positive changes to the way people exercise.

Examiner’s Comments:

This response presents a clear position, that this is a positive development overall. The first question is fully addressed, and the reasons presented include the fast pace of life, busy jobs, daily chores, and the inability to fit in with the schedules of others. For a stronger response, more could be written about why this is a positive development.

Ideas and information are logically organized, but paragraphing could be used more appropriately, as the third paragraph is not well-developed.

Vocabulary is the strongest feature and is fluently and flexibly used, with some precise meanings (“multitude of benefits,” “consult their trainers”), but occasional inaccuracies in word choice (“group class,” “fit into,” “solution”) or collocation (“fund of time”) remain. There are also a variety of complex grammatical structures with multi-clause sentences and frequent error-free sentences.